CHINCH BUG WEST OF MISSISSIPPI EIVEK. 43 



At this time attention was transferred from the wheat to the corn- 

 fields where very little fungus was noted, most of the old bugs being 

 dead, and the young ones seemingly free from any fungus. Some of 

 it could be found on the bodies of the adults about the base of the 

 corn, just as observed about the corn which had been listed in the 

 wheat infested with the bugs; none, however, could now be found 

 above the surface of the soil, all fungus being either below or on 

 the surface of the ground. 



The bugs were now seriously damaging the corn, as will be seen by 

 the following note made on June 15 : 



Bugs still migrating from wheat to corn. They are out for 40 and 50 rows on corn 

 adjacent to wheat. No Sporotrichum is developing. 



The farmers of Sumner County were informed of the presence of 

 the fungus in this locality, through the press, and by interviews with 

 them at the laboratory at Wellington. On June 24, two reports 

 came from the farmers that the fungus was killing off the bugs. Vis- 

 its were made to their farms, and the "dead bugs" proved to be only 

 piles of cast pupal skins, which they had found beneath piles of green 

 corn, and bundles of wheat and oats. This same mistake on the 

 part of the farmers was made during the experiments of Dr. 

 Snow in 1891. In reports of farmers to him we quote: "In some 

 fields the bugs have been reported dead in bunches," but he continues 

 " of the fields visited, no large bunches of white- fungus bugs have been 

 found, * * *■ each bug had died by himself." a This confusion 

 of the fungus-killed bugs with their cast-off pupal skins is one fre- 

 quently made by farmers, and such reports in regard to the efficiency 

 of the fungus are very apt to be erroneous. 



On June 23 the bugs began to leave the badly infested corn, as 

 the young had now developed wings. By July 1 they were so widely 

 scattered over the corn as to give the appearance of having left the 

 fields. In some instances this apparent disappearance of the bugs 

 was credited to the fungus by those who had not been constantly 

 watching them, several farmers reporting that the fungus had killed 

 their bugs because there were so very few to be found. 



Heavy rain fell on July 8 and 10, but little Sporotrichum could be 

 found among the bugs in the corn. On July 19 a few dead adults 

 located on corn leaves from 1 to 2 feet above ground were observed 

 covered with Sporotrichum. This was the only case during the 

 summer where the fungus was observed not in contact with the ground. 

 At this time an examination of the wheat stubble was made and the 

 following note made: 



In pulling up wheat stubble large numbers of dead fungus-covered bugs were 

 found in some places, the soil about the wheat roots being speckled with the fungus. 



a 1st Report on Contagious Diseases of the Chinch Bug, F. H. Snow, 1897. 



