BULLETIN 1102, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
was made to determine at what period the spots may appear during 
the development of the pecan kernel. However, the bugs are found 
most abundantly on pecan nuts in September and October. 
The experiment required no further attention until the nuts were 
harvested, except to replace with live bugs those that had died. The 
Schley nuts were harvested on October 16 and the Curtis nuts on 
November 19, and the result's are shown in Table 1. 
Table 1. — Result of experiment showing number of pecan nuts spotted irJien 
caged with and without bugs. 
"\ ariety. 
Number 
of nuts. 
Schley, without bugs (check). 
Schley, with bugs 
Curtis, without bugs (check). 
Curtis, with bugs 
36 
14.". 
Number 
with 
kernel- 
spot. 
Percent- 
age of 
kernels 
spotted. 

140 

16G 

93. . 

98.8 
In no case did the protected nuts, or checks, show any evidence of 
spotting, while a very large percentage of those confined with bugs 
were badly affected with typical kernel spots. Many of these indi- 
vidual nuts had 15 to 25 spots. In fact, some nuts were so badly 
spotted that almost the entire kernel was discolored and partially 
shriveled. 
An attempt was made to produce kernel-spot artificially by punc- 
turing the nuts with sterile needles. Several punctures were made 
in each of 12 nuts. This work was done during the first week in 
September at the time when most of the bugs were placed in the 
other cages. The shells of the nuts had hardened to such an extent 
by this time that several needles were broken while attempting to 
force them through to the kernels. It appears to be a remarkable 
feat that the bugs are able to pierce through the hardening pecan 
shells with their delicate mouth parts. These artificially punctured 
nuts were examined at harvest time as to the effect the punctures had 
upon the kernels. While these injuries were still evident as either 
open holes or holes partially healed over, they in no manner resem- 
bled the spots caused by the insect punctures. 
In addition to the caged nuts, an examination was made of un- 
caged nuts growing upon the same trees. Of 375 Schley nuts thus 
examined. 9 per cent were spotted. Of 82 Curtis nuts examined, 8-| 
per cent had kernel spots. 3 
The result of the experiment recorded above demonstrates very con- 
clusively that punctures by the southern stinkbug (Nezwra mridula 
3 A smaller number of uncaged Curtis nuts were examined than the writer wished, as 
the crop that grew upon thpse trees was stolen soon after it was harvested. The nuts 
examined were gathered under the trees as a last resort. 
