The Meadow Plant Bug. 



11 



parallel sides, and the genitalia being seen in outline through 

 the semitransparent walls (fig. 3 a & b). 



With the final molt the wings expand rapidly and the 

 distinction between males and females and the dimorphic forms 

 of females become clearly marked. 



The adults remain quite constantly on the grass heads and 

 evidently feed for a number of days before mating or egg lay- 

 ing begins. 



On the grass heads they are more commonly found with 

 the heads directed upward and they show some tendency to 

 mount to the highest point but they often stand head down- 

 ward and pass up and down the heads and stem freely. The 

 position with the head upward appears to give them an excel- 

 lent position for probing into the florets with their beaks. It 

 was noted that in egg laying the females selected small stems 

 of grass 1 mm. to iy 2 mm. in diameter while in clover stems as 

 much as 2 J / 2 mm. diameter were used. Probably the rough or 

 softer stem of clover serves as a good foothold though the tarsi 

 are too small to clasp around it. 







Fig. 4. Mir'xs dolabratus: A-E, antennae of nymphs; F, antenna of 

 adult drawn to same scale and showing relative lengths of segments. 

 From drawings by the author. (Jour. Agr. Research). 



Natural Enemies 



Among the natural enemies or checks of the species may 

 be counted the gray damsel bug, Reduviolus ferus, (fig. 5) 

 which is a very common and widely distributed species through- 

 out the northern part, at least, of North America and in fact 

 the holarctic region. Webster and Mally (1897) say Corsicus 

 ferus was observed to attack Leptoterna dolobrata Linn, which 

 was feeding quite abundantly on timothy heads about East 

 Cleveland, June 28, 1896. 



