MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 63 



them to become withered and blackened. Sometimes a whole 

 branch will be thus affected, being first stunted, then withering 

 and finally dying. This insect also causes serious deformation of 

 the fruit both by feeding and egg-laying punctures. Early in 

 the morning these plant-bugs are in a sluggish condition, and 

 may be found hidden in the expanding leaves ; but as the day 

 advances and the temperature rises, they become active, and 

 when approached dodge quickly about from place to place, drop 

 to the ground, or else take wing and fly away. In common 

 with most true bugs, they have when handled a disagreeable 

 odor. In the course of two or three weeks they disappear, or 

 cease to be sufficiently injurious to attract attention. 



a. * I 



Fig. 28. (After Chittenden). Enlarged. 



The mature bug (fig. 28 a) is about one-fifth of an inch long, 

 and exceedingly variable in color and markings, ranging from 

 a dull brown to a greenish or yellowish brown. In a typical 

 specimen the head is yellowish, with three narrow reddish 

 stripes ; the beak is about one-third the length of the body, and 

 is folded upon the breast when not in use. The prothorax has 

 a yellow margin and several longitudinal yellowish lines ; behind 

 the prothorax, upon the scutellum, is a yellow V-shaped mark ; 

 the wings are dusky brown, with a pale cuneus and black point 

 at the apex ; the legs are dull yellow. The immature insects are 

 greenish ; if a little older they possess a pair of round black dots 

 on the back of the thorax, another pair on the scutellum, and a 

 single dot on the abdomen. 



COMBATIVE MEASURES. 



Since these insects hibernate among rubbish of all kinds, 

 clean culture is very important. By clean culture is. understood 

 the removal of all litter from fence corners, so as to take away 



