152 



same insect were received from Mr. L. Doiiner, manager of the Halls 

 Island Earms, near Beaufort, S. 0., who had found them upon his 

 asparagus plants. 



A little later our old-time correspondent, Judge Lawrence 0. Johnson, 

 wrote us from Meridian, Miss., under date of September 25, and trans- 

 mitted among other entomological specimens a single female of this 

 species taken on a cabbage stalk. 



During the summer of 1891 two of our assistants, Messrs. F. W. 

 Mally and Nathan Banks, while engaged in the Boll Worm investiga- 

 tion at Shreveport, La., found that this species is largely responsible 

 for a somewhat peculiar damage to cotton, known locally as '' sharp- 

 shooter " attack. Under our instructions these gentlemen made a care- 

 ful study of this particular damage, and from their reports we gain the 

 following information : 



In Louisiana this species is quite abundant upon the cotton plants in 

 certain fields from the first of June on through the season. The fields 

 in which it is most abundant are those bordered by young poplars along 

 the bayous. Prior to the first of June the insect occurs upon the pop- 

 lars. About that time, however, the young growth becomes so hard 

 that they migrate to cotton, which crop they damage by feeding and 

 by oviposition. As shown in the figure, the ovipositor of the female 

 (Eig. 10/) consists of two saw-blades, and with these she punctures vege- 

 table tissue for the reception of her eggs. Upon cotton the eggs are 

 most frequently laid within the young forms or squares. Mr, Mally 

 observed the act of oviposition twice, and describes it as follows : 



The female braced herself upon all legs, the head and anterior portion of the body 

 elevated. The very thin pointed ovipositor was then exserted, and by a forcible 

 sawing-like operation was gradually inserted underneath the epidermis. The chan- 

 nel was made concave, the distal end almost coming to the surface again. The long, 

 slightly curved, cylindrical white egg was then introduced, and the ovipositor with- 

 drawn. The time occupied by this process was about one or two minutes. After a 

 short interval a second egg was laid in like manner alongside of the first, but slightly 

 in advance of it. A few hours after deposition slight, pale, blister-like swellings 

 were noted over the points where the eggs were found. 



The duration of the egg state was not ascertained. The newly- 

 hatched young was noted and was found to be nearly white, carrying 

 its abdomen elevated almost at right angles to the body. It is shy, like 

 the more mature individuals, and hides among the very young leaves 

 or the involucres. In this stage the insect feeds by puncturing the 

 epidermis at the base of the flower bud, or the very young bolls, or the 

 short, tender peduncles. After this puncturing the form or small boll 

 ^^ flares,^' turns i^ale, and drops off, the only indication of damage being 

 a small black spot, and it is these spots which the planters call ''sharp- 

 shooter" work. By many this damage has been attributed to the Boll 

 Worm, and attention was drawn to it many years ago by Glover, who, 

 Iiowever, did not ascertain the real perpetrator of the damage, consid- 

 =ering it to be probably the work of some heteropterous insect. 



