April, '15] 



KNIGHT: CAPSID OVIPOSITION 



297 



elm shoots. On June 25, adults were quite numerous on both elm 

 and pear trees. A search was made on the elm branches to see if eggs 

 were being deposited there. One capsid egg was found inserted in the 

 tender bark, which in size and appearance corresponded to that of 

 L. invitus. 



On June 20, two females and one male were placed on pear branches 

 within a cheesecloth cage. The male died about the middle of July, 

 while the two females were alive on August 6, but dead on August 8. 

 No eggs were found in the branches. These adults produced character- 

 istic injury to a pear growing within the cage. 



An Apple Capsid {Paracalocoris colon Say) 



This is a species which was found rather commonly on apple trees 

 during the past summer. The brownish-red and white banded nymphs 

 may be found feeding on the tender shoots and foliage in a manner 

 similar to apple red bugs. However, the fruits which are punctured 

 do not develop such deformities and scars as result from feeding by 

 red bugs. The first adult was taken June 15. Oviposition was first 

 observed on July 3. This species oviposits in places quite different 

 from any capsid heretofore observed. The females prefer to oviposit 

 along the margin of dead wood, such as stubs caused by the breaking 

 off of limbs. Females which were caged on limbs free from scars did 

 not oviposit. Three individuals were induced to lay by placing them 

 on branches which had broken stubs (Fig. 10, pi. 12). One female was 

 observed to oviposit on the tree. In this case, the egg was placed in 

 the margin of a wound caused by the splitting off of a small branch. 

 The female prepared a place in the margin of the live bark by means of 

 the proboscis. The ovipositor is then thrust forward and worked into 

 place with a rapid jerky motion. It requires from three to four minutes 

 to insert the ovipositor and lay an egg. Five eggs were placed around 

 the margin of one stub, a new hole being made for each egg (Fig. 9, 

 pi. 12). 



The egg is 1.2 mm. long by .2 mm. in width. It differs 

 from other Capsid eggs by having a white cap with two 

 keels that curve up and nearly meet over the top of the 

 egg (Fig. 13). The cap projects from the cavity as shown 

 in the figure, but is not conspicuous due to the uneven 

 character of the rough bark and surrounding wood. 

 Most of the eggs were deposited during the first two 

 weeks in July. The last specimen captured was a 

 female taken on July 28. 



Fig. 13. Egg of Paracalocoris colon showing the cap with keels. 



