114 FIELD ZOOLOGY. 



On the western continent it has the run of the two 

 Americas from Panama to middle California on the western 

 coast, and from Panama to about the latitude of Cape 

 Breton on the east. Inland it has spread over a region 

 from Texas to Manitoba. The states suffering worst from 

 its ravages are Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, 

 Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, North Carolina, and Virginia. 

 According to accounts, it fed on native grasses originally, 

 and often now uses them as a breeding host, migrating 

 to cereal plants later. Of the cultivated crops upon 

 which it feeds, it seems to prefer wheat and com, millet, 

 sorghum and broom com; feeding also upon timothy, 

 Bermuda grass, blue grass, crab grass, and, in the South, 

 upon rice. 



The eggs are laid on or near the surface of the ground, 

 on the roots of grasses or grains. Howard reports eggs 

 as having been found in the sheath of grass stems. The 

 egg-laying occupies a period of ten days to three weeks; 

 and the eggs hatch in an average time of two weeks. 

 The adults reach maturity in from fifty-seven to sixty days 

 from the time of hatching. The young larva or nymph 

 is at first yellow, with an orange spot on the middle of 

 the abdomen. After the first moult it turns a bright 

 vermilion except the two segments at the base of the 

 abdomen, which remain yellow. After the second moult 

 the vermilion gradually gives place to the adult colors, 

 dusky gray and black ; while, at the same time, the wing 

 pads increase in size. The adult has a rather oblong, 

 somewhat hairy body; the elytra are white with a blackish 

 spot on the side, midway of each elytron. 



Its most important natural enemies among the insects 

 are the soldier bug, the insidious flower bug, one of the 

 ground beetles, lace-winged flies, and also spiders. Among 



