16 



MISC. PUBLICATION 318, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



Figure 33. — 

 Harlequin bug. 



' 



A/ 



the harlequin bug {Murgantia histrionica) . This in- 

 sect is about three-eighths of an inch long and is black 

 with large orange,, red, and yellow markings. It is 

 a sucking insect, and has four wings. The adults fly, 

 and both adults and young crawl readily. The adults 

 and the full-grown nymphs are active throughout the 

 winter when the days are warm. On cold days, or in 

 the northern limits of their distribution, the harlequin 

 bug hides in and among old cabbage plants, weeds, and 

 other debris. It is rather a severe pest, but can be 

 partially controlled by field sanitation, trap crops, cul- 

 tural practices, and sprays such as strong nicotine-soap solution or 

 rotenone extracts. 



Water bug. — Occasionally around electric lights 

 one finds a grayish-brown bug about 2 inches long. 

 This insect is often called the giant water bug or 

 electric-light bug. The specific name is Lethocerus 

 americanus. It has four wings; flies; overwinters 

 as a nymph or adult in trash, mud, or pools of 

 water; has incomplete life changes, and may be 

 considered a pest when it at- 

 tacks fish, snails, etc., in 

 ponds and aquariums. The 

 larvae of this insect are 

 water loving and feed on va- 

 rious forms of water life. 

 This insect belongs to the '■ 

 order Hemiptera. figure 34.-water bug. 



Masked Hunter. — Another of the true bugs 

 is the masked hunter (Reduvius personatus). 

 It is from one-half to three- fourths of an inch 

 long and is black, has sucking mouth parts, 

 four wings, and can fly. This insect is bene- 

 ficial because it feeds on various household and 

 cereal insects. It overwinters as a nymph or 

 adult under trash and the like. The life 

 changes are incomplete. This insect belongs to the order Hemiptera. 



Squash bugs. — Practically every grower of 

 squash has seen a rather large, elongated, dark- 

 gray insect, and oftentimes clusters of small 

 lighter gray spiderlike pests feeding on his 

 squash. These insects, like all other insects of the 

 order Hemiptera, have incomplete life changes 

 and sucking mouth parts. The adult insect is 

 about one-half an inch long. The adults of this t 

 group have four wings and fly readily when dis- | 

 turbed. Both the adults and the nymphs feed on J 

 the leaves, fruits, and vines of squash and related/ j 

 plants. The adult insects overwinter beneath 

 rubbish and loose bark of logs. Because of their 

 injury to squash, they are considered pests. They 

 may be partially controlled by use of contact 

 sprays and cultural practices. The common 

 squash bug shown here is Anasa tristis. figure 36.— Squash bug. 



Figure 35. — Masked hunter. 



