26 



PLANT-BUGS INJURIOUS TO COTTON BOLLS. 



lateral margins of the thorax above and below, the basal, third to 

 two-thirds of the costal margins of the wing corium, and the tip of 

 the scutellum varying in color in different specimens from pale 

 yellow to bright crimson. In a series of 63 specimens collected at 

 random the range in length was found to be from 12 to 16.5 mm. 

 While in this species there was one of either sex measuring 16.5 

 mm., the females in general are slightly larger than the males. 

 Among 10 specimens of each sex collected at random in a cotton 

 field, the average length was 15.1 mm. in the case of the females and 

 14.1 mm. in the case of the males, the former ranging from 14 to 

 16.5 mm., the latter from 13 to 14.5 mm. 



Fig. 1.— The conchuela (Pentatoma ligata): a, Adult bug; h, egg-mass on leaves; 

 c, egg just before emergence of nymph; d, egg at an earlier stage of development; 

 e, egg from side showing exit hole at the top; /, egg closed, a, b, enlarged; c-f, 

 greatly enlarged. (Author's illustration.) 



(Text fig. 1; PL V, fig. 1.) 



The writer has described the egg of this species in a previous 

 report. From the examination of 25 eggs deposited by various 

 females the dimensions may be stated as follows: The greatest 

 diameter of individual eggs varies from 0.95 to 1.22 mm., rarely 

 exceeds 1.1 mm., and averages about 0.98 mm.; the height varies 

 from 1.2 to 1.45 mm. and averages about 1.28 mm. The egg is 

 irregularly ovoid in form. When first deposited it is pale green but 

 the chorion soon turns white except for certain areas which are 

 translucent and grayish in color, turning to dark gray or brown as 

 the embryo develops. 



