IT. S, D. A., B. E. Bui. 95, Part III. Issued December 14, 1911. 



PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. 



CHINCH-BUG INVESTIGATIONS WEST OF THE MISSIS- 

 SIPPI RIVER. 



By E. O. G. Kelly, Entomological Assistant. 



and 

 T. H. Parks, Entomological Assistant. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Chinch bugs have long been a pest, and, especially so in the Middle 

 Western States. During the last two years especially, Kansas, Okla- 

 homa, and parts of Missouri and Illinois have suffered great losses 

 from their ravages. 



Owing largely to a lack of knowledge of the habits of the chinch 

 bug, farmers are at a loss for remedies; the tried and successful tar 

 lines and dust barriers, crudely used by them, to prevent the bugs 

 from entering their corn, being often applied without success. 



The "white fungus" or "fungus disease" of chinch bugs (Sporo- 

 tricJium globuliferum) , as it is commonly known among farmers, has 

 been carefully observed and the conclusion reached that under ordi- 

 nary farm conditions it can not be relied upon to afford immediate 

 protection. 



This paper has been written for the purpose of giving the farmers 

 information regarding the habits of this insect, and the most effective 

 methods of combating it. Field observations on this pest in Kansas, 

 Oklahoma, and Missouri were begun during the spring of 1907 and 

 continued till March, 1911, Mr. C. N. Ainslie and Mr. Paul Hayhurst 

 making observations in 1907, and the senior author from the spring 

 of 1908 to July, 1911, assisted by the junior author, who also did the 

 photographic work, during the year ending with July, 1910. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The chinch bug is widely distributed over the United States as well 

 as in parts of Canada and in Mexico. The accompanying map 

 (fig. 11) shows its distribution west of the Mississippi River. It is 

 especially destructive over portions of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, 

 Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota, 



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