339 



AN ORCHID BUG. 



[Phytocoris mi lit ar is, Westzvood.) 



Phytocoris mz'Zitaris, much magnified ; line showing natural size. 



'^Information has been received by the Board of serious 

 -injuries to valuable orchids growing in orchid houses, 

 -especially to Dendrobium phalcsnopsis. The leaves were found 

 to be blotched with patches of pale yellowish or greyish 

 colour, and the plants appeared weakly and in a languishing 

 state from the disorder of the leaves. Many leaves died, and 

 in these cases the plants themselves soon died also. The 

 injury evidently was not of a fungoid character, but, from the 

 nature of the blotches, seemed to be caused by the punctures 

 of an insect, although for a long time none was discovered. 

 Upon watching the plant at night a small insect was, how- 

 ever, detected sucking the juices of the leaves, and this was 

 manifestly the author of the mischief. A close examination 

 of the sphagnum and peat round the roots and pseudo-bulbs 

 revealed the presence of many of the same insects. They 

 evidently belonged to a species of the plant bugs of the order 

 Hemiptera Heteroptera, and were in two distinct forms, viz., 

 the perfect insect with fully developed wings, and the nymphal 

 form with the rudiments of wings. The latter form was in 

 two or three stages, defined by increased size and the pro- 



