﻿356 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  red 
  stripe, 
  with 
  two 
  short 
  obUque 
  ones 
  on 
  each 
  side. 
  The 
  thorax 
  is 
  

   dusky, 
  marbled 
  with 
  paler, 
  with 
  a 
  median 
  white 
  line, 
  and 
  pale 
  spaces 
  

   surrounding 
  the 
  four 
  black 
  spots, 
  and 
  is 
  sometimes 
  variegated 
  with 
  

   crimson. 
  The 
  under 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen 
  beneath 
  

   are 
  also 
  marked 
  with 
  crimson..' 
  

  

  The 
  fourth 
  stage. 
  This 
  stage 
  is 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  much 
  greater 
  develop- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  wing 
  pads, 
  they 
  being 
  nearly 
  half 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen, 
  

   and 
  by 
  the 
  relatively 
  much 
  greater 
  breadth 
  of 
  the 
  insect. 
  The 
  antennae 
  

   are 
  less 
  distinctly 
  ringed; 
  there 
  are 
  now 
  four 
  longitudinal 
  dusky 
  or 
  crim- 
  

   son 
  lines 
  on 
  the 
  prothorax 
  parallel 
  with 
  its 
  margins; 
  the 
  wing 
  pads 
  are 
  

   irregularly 
  marked 
  with 
  fuscous 
  ; 
  the 
  abdominal 
  sutures 
  are 
  crimson, 
  with 
  

   a 
  crimson 
  band 
  across 
  each 
  segment. 
  Some 
  individuals 
  are 
  a 
  uniform 
  

   green 
  above. 
  The 
  insect 
  in 
  this 
  stage 
  is 
  quite 
  variable 
  in 
  its. 
  markings. 
  

  

  With 
  the 
  fourth 
  molt 
  the 
  adult 
  form 
  is 
  assumed. 
  The 
  following 
  

  

  description 
  of 
  the 
  mature 
  insect 
  is 
  given 
  by 
  Prof. 
  Riley 
  in 
  his 
  second 
  

  

  report 
  (see 
  citation) 
  : 
  

  

  This 
  bug 
  is 
  a 
  quite 
  variable 
  species, 
  the 
  males 
  being 
  generally 
  much 
  

   darker 
  than 
  the 
  females. 
  The 
  more 
  common 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  dried 
  cabinet 
  

   specimens 
  is 
  a 
  dirty 
  yellow, 
  variegated 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  figure 
  with 
  black 
  and 
  

   dark 
  brown, 
  and 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  characteristic 
  

   marks 
  is 
  a 
  yellow 
  V, 
  sometimes 
  looking 
  more 
  like 
  a 
  

   Y, 
  or 
  indicated 
  by 
  three 
  simple 
  dots, 
  on 
  the 
  scutel, 
  

   (the 
  little 
  triangular 
  piece 
  on 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  back, 
  

   behind 
  the 
  thorax). 
  The 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  living 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  is 
  much 
  fresher, 
  and 
  frequently 
  inclmes 
  to 
  

   olive 
  green. 
  The 
  thorax, 
  which 
  is 
  finely 
  punctured, 
  

   is 
  always 
  finely 
  bordered 
  and 
  divided 
  down 
  the 
  

   middle 
  with 
  yellow, 
  and 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  divisions 
  con- 
  

   tains 
  two 
  broader 
  longitudinal 
  yellow 
  lines, 
  very 
  

   frequently 
  obsolete 
  behind. 
  The 
  thighs 
  always 
  have 
  

   two 
  dark 
  bands 
  or 
  rings 
  near 
  their 
  tips. 
  

  

  b^gf 
  lygus^^^p^raSsis 
  Life 
  history 
  and 
  habits. 
  The 
  winter 
  is 
  passed 
  

   by 
  the 
  mature 
  insects 
  in 
  a 
  dormant 
  condition 
  beneath 
  

   any 
  convenient 
  shelter. 
  They 
  appear 
  with 
  the 
  first 
  indications 
  of 
  growth 
  

   in 
  the 
  spring 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  drawing 
  their 
  nutriment 
  from 
  the 
  unfold- 
  

   ing 
  buds. 
  Eggs 
  are 
  soon 
  deposited 
  on 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  stems 
  of 
  their 
  food- 
  

   plants, 
  and 
  the 
  young 
  emerging 
  therefrom 
  feed 
  upon 
  the 
  more 
  tender 
  

   growth. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  earlier 
  individuals 
  mature 
  by 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  May 
  

   or 
  first 
  of 
  June 
  in 
  this 
  latitude. 
  From 
  this 
  time 
  till 
  September, 
  young 
  

   in 
  all 
  stages 
  and 
  adults 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  plants. 
  This 
  renders 
  

   it 
  difficult 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  precise 
  number 
  of 
  broods 
  each 
  year, 
  but 
  

   there 
  are 
  at 
  least 
  two 
  in 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  New 
  York. 
  

  

  This 
  insect 
  is 
  very 
  shy, 
  as 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  mature 
  insects 
  taking 
  wing 
  

   and 
  the 
  young 
  dropping 
  to 
  the 
  ground 
  on 
  the 
  least 
  alarm, 
  or 
  else 
  moving 
  

   quickly 
  to 
  the 
  opposite 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  or 
  leaf-stalk 
  when 
  approached. 
  

   On 
  cool 
  mornings 
  and 
  evenings 
  the 
  insects 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  rather 
  sluggish, 
  

  

  