6 DEPARTMENT BULLETIN 179. 
yield of from 50 to 60 bushels, thrashed only 22 bushels of very 
inferior grain per acre. 
During 1915 when the grain bug was under close observation in 
northeastern New Mexico the visible damage before harvest varied 
in many of the fields from only a trace to 50 per 
cent of the heads, the average being about 10 per 
cent. The full extent of the damage was not ap- 
preciated until harvest, when the poor quality, 
reduced yield, and light weight of the grain were 
sources of general complaint among the farmers. 
In one instance under consideration 2 carload of 
oats averaged only 18 pounds per bushel. 
wee 
DESCRIPTION. 
THE EGG.1 
Fic. 3—The grain Length 1.1 to 12 mm.; width at widest part 0.88 ; 
bug: Eggs. Above, to 0.98 mm.; width at bottom 0.57 to 0.66 mm. The egg 
aaa Sa eare ae (fig. 3) is irregularly ovoid in form, with irregular gray 
aed: = areas on the lateral surface, in appearance resembling 
froth. Viewed from aboye, three white circles appear, 
inclosing a central dull-gray area and two circular bands of the same 
eolor. 
Described from 15 eggs taken from as many different clusters. 
NYMPHS. 
FIRST INSTAR. 
Length 1.1 to 1.54 mm.; width of thorax 0.88 to 0.985 mm.; width of abdo- 
men 0.935 to 1.072 mm. 
Dorsally: Head black, finely punctate, anterior margin sparsely pubescent; | j 
eyes black, prominent; antennz 0.77 to 1.88 mm. in 
length, light brown, three terminal segments sparsely 
pubescent. Thorax black, finely punctate, with deep 
convolutions between its divisions and down the 
median line. Abdomen brown-black in color, mid- 
dorsal section occupied by a narrow black band; 
location of scent glands indicated by two black trans- 
verse areas; a single black area within a yellow 
border on the lateral margin of each segment and : 
a series of three irregular yellow-white markings yg 4-—The grain bug: 
converging toward the apex of the abdomen. ‘The Nymph, first instar. 
lateral margins of the abdomen and thorax are Much enlarged. 
greatly depressed and form a shelf-like division be- 
tween the ventral and dorsal surfaces. This is distinct from the connexivum 
of adult Heteroptera. The “shelf” persists throughout the nymphal period. 
Edge of ‘“ shelf’ sparsely pubescent in this instar. 
1 Original description. 
