The Meadow Plant Bug. 7 



bers present and also by the size and feeding capacity of these 

 insects they may easily be counted among the most destructive 

 to the crop though they do not kill the plant by attacks at or 

 near the root. 



Fig. 1. Miris dolabratus: A, adult on timothy head in resting or 

 feeding position; B, female ovipositing; C, eggs from oviduct, nearly 

 or quite mature ; D, mature egg ready for deposition ; E, mature egg 

 greatly enlarged showing membranous operculum. From drawings by 

 the author. (Jour. . Agr. Research). 



Food Plants 



Timothy has been most commonly mentioned as the food 

 plant of the species and this is quite evidently the grass with 

 which it is most commonly associated as even where it may 

 be found on other grasses it is usually where timothy forms a 

 large part of the combination of species growing together. 



I have found it commonly attached on timothy heads, very 

 evidently feeding, and individuals have been carried along for 

 several instars with no other food, so this is clearly a normal 

 food supply (fig. i). I have also found it commonly on 

 orchard grass, meadow fescue and witch grass and the nymphs 

 seem to thrive on these plants about as well as on the timothy. 

 It has not been observed commonly on blue grass or other 

 small grasses or grasses with small seed heads except as these 

 are mixed with the coarser forms and while it occurs where 

 clover is mixed with timothy and lays eggs in clover stems it 

 has not been observed ever to feed either on stems, leaves or 



