BIONOMICS OF THE CHINCH BUG. 5 
Females and males, taken in copula in the field very early in 
spring, were placed in test tubes and counts made of the number of 
eggs laid. Data relating to four of these cages are given in Table I. 
The largest number of eggs deposited in any one of the four cages 
was 119, in cage 20-51. The smallest number, 51, was obtained in 
cage 20-53. The average number deposited by one female, based on 
the four individuals, is 85.25 eggs. Oviposition extended over a 
period of 56 egg-laying days in cage 20-50, and only 41 days in cage 
20-51, although more eggs were deposited in the former cage than in 
the latter. 
Although the individuals were collected from the field, there does 
not seem to be much doubt that the females had begun to oviposit 
before they were captured, since they were taken at the time of their 
migration and shortly afterwards, and at the time when they were 
copulating in great numbers. 
Table 1. — Records of daily and total egg production of four individuals of 
Blissus leucopterus, Columbia, S. C, 1920. 
Cage No. 20-50. 
Date of oviposi- 
tion. 
May 11.... 
May 12-26. 
May 27. . . . 
May 28-31. 
June 1 
June 2 
June 3 
June 4 
June 5 
June 6-7 . . 
June 8-9.. 
June 10 . . . 
June 11.. . 
June 12.. . 
June 13-14. 
June 15.. . 
June 16 . . . 
June 17-18. 
June 19.. . 
June 20-21 . 
June 22-23. 
June 24 . . . 
June 25-26 . 
June 27-29. 
June 30.. . 
July 1-6. . . 
Total. 
Num. 
ber 
of 
eggs. 
Cage No. 20-51. 
Date of oviposi- 
tion. 
May 8 
May 9-25. . 
May 26. . . . 
May 27-28. 
May 29. . . . 
May 30-31. 
June 1 
June 2 
June 3 
June 4 
June 5 
June 6-7 . . 
June 8-9.. 
June 10.. . 
June 11 . . . 
June 12.. . 
June 13-14. 
June 15 . . . 
June 16 . . . 
June 17-18. 
Total. 
Num. 
ber 
of 
119 
Cage NoT 20-53. 
Date of oviposi- 
tion. 
May 9 
May 10.... 
May 11.... 
May 12. . . . 
May 13.... 
May 14 
May 15-20. 
May 21.... 
May 22-24. 
May 25 
May 26. : . . 
May 27.... 
May 28.... 
May 29. . . . 
Total. 
Num- 
ber 
of 
eggs. 
Cage No. 20-55. 
Date of oviposi- 
tion. 
May 9 , 
May 10 
May 11 
May 12 
May 13 
May 14-24 , 
May 25 
May 26 
May 27 
May 28 , 
May 29 
May30-31 
June 1 
June 2 
June 3 
June 4 
June 5— Female 
dead; dissected. 
Total. 
Num- 
ber 
of 
eggs. 
-75 
LENGTH OF THE EGG STAGE. 
The length of the' incubation period is governed primarily by pre- 
vailing temperature. During early spring it may be slightly more 
than a month and during midsummer a trifle more than a week. In 
the laboratory at Columbia, S. C, a record on the incubation period 
