l6 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



INJURIOUS INSECTS 



LINED RED BUG 



Lygidea mendax Reut. 



The observations of the past season show this species to be common 

 and rather generally distributed in the Hudson valley and the one 

 usually responsible for the increased red bug injury to apple orchards. 

 A number of field studies were made for the purpose of securing data 

 which might be of value in controlling the pest. 



Examinations of northern spy and greening trees in the orchard 

 of Mr W. H. Hart, at Arlington, on May 14th showed a rather general 

 infestation. The young bugs were evidently just hatching, as some 

 of them were of a pale yellowish red color, while a few were beginning 

 to show the characteristic deep red. The more tender unfolding 

 leaves were indistinctly reddish-brown spotted here and there, and 

 presented somewhat the appearance of having suffered from sun 

 scald. Such injury was almost invariably closely associated with 

 the presence of one or more small red bugs. Eleven days later, 

 evidences of injury were more marked and the young bugs were 

 mostly in the second stage, a few apparently just entering the third. 

 On June 2 5th adults of this species were common y present through- 

 out the orchard, two or three being easily found on many of the trees. 

 A number were captured and in no case were we successful in securing 

 specimens of the other red bug, Heterocordylus malinus Reut. 

 They all belonged to the above named species. It was found that 

 the adults cou d be rather easily caught by holding a hat just 

 below the insect and then jarring the foliage from above. It was 

 necessary to move rather quietly and quickly and 'ust after the 

 jarring be ready to knock the bug back into the hat or it would 

 escape. Some qu ckness and care are necessary to capture the speci- 

 mens without crushing them badly. By July i6th there were com- 

 paratively few red bugs to be found in this orchard, though the 

 insects had been numerous a short time before and occurred at that 

 time rather abundantly in one orchard only about a mile away. 



Examinations of various orchards in the Hudson valley resulted 

 in our finding nimierous evidences of the work of this insect, and in 

 a number of cases adults were taken, they in each instance proving 

 to be the lined red bug. In addition to infesting a nimiber of 

 orchards near Poughkeepsie, the species was found to be rather nu- 



