DESCRIPTIOX. 



The melon apliis is a minute, soft-bodied creature, of variable color, 

 usuall}^ of some shade of green or greenish black: in its young and 

 wingless stages, louselike in appearance; and of sluggish habit thru- 

 out its existence. The general appearance of this species in its most 

 commonly observable stages is indicated in figure 2, highl}- magnitied. 

 A brief description of the stages figured will suffice for the present 



purpose. 



The egg has been 

 described by Mx. Th. 

 Pergande^' as of regu- 

 larly oval shape and 

 measuring about 0, 6'""' 

 in length; 3'ellowish 

 or greenish when first 

 deposited, soon chang- 

 ing to jet black. 



The larval aphis or 

 nymph (fig. 2, 7j) when 

 first born or hatched 

 presents no observable 

 characters for com- 

 parative description. 

 It measures less than 

 0.5'""' and is pale in 

 ' color, turning later 

 to yellow. The last 

 nymphal stage, corre- 

 sponding to the pupa 

 of other insects, is 

 sufficiently illustrated 

 at c that it requires 

 no verbal description. 

 The apterous or wing 

 less female, which is 

 viviparous ( g i v i n g 

 birth to living j^oung), 

 is figured at d. Great 

 variation is exhibited in this stage, from pale yellow to very dark green, 

 with black nectaries or honey tubes and pale whitish-yellow legs and 

 antennae This stage varies in length from 1.5 to 1.8""". The winged 

 female is illustrated at «, which shows a form with pale abdomen. 

 The body is more slender than in the wingless form, the length being 



« Insect Life, Vol. VII, pp. 309-315, 1895. Technical descriptions are furnished 

 also by Forbes, 12th Kept. St. Knt. Til. f. 1882 (1883), pp. 83-91. 



Fi(.i. 1.— Cantaloupe leaves showing curling caused by melon aphis 

 aphides on lower surface. Slightly reduced (original) . 



