U. S. D. A., B. E. Bui. 63, Part IV. C. B. W. I., February 8, 1907. 



PAPERS ON THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL AND 

 RELATED AND ASSOCL^TED INSECTS. 



A PREDATORY BUG REPORTED AS AN' ENEMY OF THE COTTON 



BOLL WEEVIL. 



(Apiomerus spissipes Say.) « ' 



By A. C. Morgan, 



Special Field Agent. 



INTRODUCTION. 



On May 3, 1905, the writer was sent to Gurley, Tex., to investigate 

 the finding, b}^ Mr. Sam. Allen, of that place, of a bug which he 

 reported as an enemy to the Mexican cotton boll weevil {Anthonomiis 

 grandis Boh.). Mr. Allen had collected onl}^ one specimen, a nymph 

 of Apiomerus spissipes Say. It was taken to Dallas, Tex., where it 

 soon molted and became adult. Other adults were afterwards placed 

 under observation at Dallas in order that the life history and habits 

 of the species might be studied to determine to what extent it was 

 an enem}" of the boll weevil, and whether or not it is likely to become 

 of economic importance. 



Credit is due Mr. W. W. Yothers for valuable notes upon the life 

 history of this species, especialh^ as regards its food habits. 



LIFE HISTORY. 



Copulation. — May 23, 1905, a pair was observed in copulation in 

 the field for over 6 hours at Gurle3\ Later, at Dallas, a pair was 

 in copulation for 4 hours, and another pair for 3 hours. During the 

 process the female assumes the normal position while the male clings 

 to o.ne side of her, holding on with the fore and hind legs. 



Oidposition. — The eggs are laid in masses (fig. 8, ^) of 10 to 60, 

 tho as few as 10 were recorded in one instance and 23 in another. 

 Individual records are as follows: 37, 41, 49, 54, and 64. The usual 

 place for oviposition is the underside of a leaf, near the top of the 

 plant. Egg masses have been collected in this position from Ambrosia 

 sp. and Heliantlius sp. The eggs are placed so close to each other, 

 side by side, that in the center of the mass, instead of being cylindrical, 

 they are usually more or less hexagonal. 



The egg.—Y^^ ^^g (fig. 9) is cylindrical, finely punctured, and varies 

 in color from a bright yellow when first deposited to a light brown 



« Order Hemiptera, family Rednviida\ 



49 



