30 



by one or more of these spots directly opposite on the inner side of 

 the carpel. 



The conchuela usually inserts its mouth seta3 through the carpel 

 and developing lint into the seed. An injured immature seed at first 

 is characterized by a watery appearance, later it takes on a brownish 

 color and appears decayed, finally shriveling. Two or three days after 

 the seed is injured by the feeding of the bug, the surrounding lint 

 becomes slightly discolored. If only a short time was spent in feed- 

 ing upon the seed of a nearly matured boll, the injury consists simply 

 in a yellow staining of the lint, but if the boll be less than two-thirds 

 grown the injury is likely to be more serious. The decayed appear- 

 ance then spreads throughout the lock, which shrivels and is spoiled. 

 The observations thus far made show that a bug must spend at least 

 several hours to destroy the usefulness of a lock of a cotton boll 

 instead of only the few minutes necessary to deposit an egg, as is the 

 case with a female boll weevil. 



Several observations were made in the field to establish the con- 

 nection betw^een the conchuela and the injury described above. A 

 few of these will be outlined. Bug No. 1 Avas found on a plant upon 

 which it remained for oA^er twenty-four hours, it being unknoAvn how 

 long it might have been on the same plant previous to discovery, or 

 how manA^ if any, other bugs had been present. On examination of 

 the unopened bolls it Avas found that there Avere uninjured 5, slightly 

 injured 1, badly injured 6. Two opene-cl bolls Avere uninjured. As a 

 check for this plant, the bolls on the next one in the roAV Avere ex- 

 amined, and of the 12 unopened and 3 open bolls all Avere perfect. 

 This same insect moved 4J feet to another plant and Atas found upon 

 the same boll at each of the seA^eral A^sits to the field during the fol- 

 loAA^ing thirty-six hours. The insect then disappeared and Avas not 

 afterAvards found. An examination of the 15 bolls on this second 

 plant showed only 2 injured ones, the one on Avhich the bug Avas 

 known to have fed for thirty-six hours, Avhich Avas badly damaged, 

 and another the injury to Avhich was apparently caused by a bacterial 

 disease of the nature of anthracnose. 



On September 4, 1904, at 11.45 a. m., tAvo specimens of P. ligata 

 Avere found in the cotton field on a plant, surrounding Avhich for at 

 least 50 feet in all directions Avere plants Avhich after careful search 

 were found to be free from the insect. Six hours later tAvo more 

 adults Avere found on this plant, an examination as before shoAving 

 the surrounding plants to be free. Tavo da3^s later the plant under 

 observation Avas entirely free from the insects, and on September 8 

 all the bolls on the plant Avere opened and each lock Avas examined. 

 Of the 15 bolls 7 were badly injured; 4 (3 of AAdiich were produced 

 on the lower branches close to the ground) Avere perfectly sound in 

 every Avay. As a check, an examination was made of the 16 bolls on 



