2 BULLETIN 239, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
usually the female also will be observed either in close proximity 
feeding or in the act of ovipositing. Upon the emergence of the 
nymphs from the eggs the discoloration of the leaves increases in area 
raitil finally the entire leaf is involved, turning yellow and dry. 
The nymphs migrate from one leaf to another, injuring every leaf 
attacked, until they transform, after which, as adults, they disperse 
to other plants. Not every plant in a field will be injured, but once 
jl plant becomes infested every leaf may be so injured as to result in 
the loss of the plant. 
The truckers in the vicinity of Norfolk, Va., usually raise eggplant 
in fields of from 6 to 10 acres. During the summer of 1914 many 
such fields were carefully examined, and the injury was estimated at 
from 10 to 15 per cent of the entire acreage. The uninformed trucker 
does not as yet recognize this insect as a specialized eggplant pest, 
since the injury closely resembles that due to aphides. As the plant- 
lice are feeding on the eggplant at about the same time, the lace-bug 
Injury is usually attributed to them. The injury to eggplant by this 
tingitid is entirely well defined- and individual in character, and no 
one who has carefully observed the damage would ever confuse it 
with that due to the work of aphides. 
DESCRIPTION OF STAGES. 
THE ADULT. 
This interesting lace-bug belongs to the heteropterous family Tin- 
gitidse, which contains a number of injurious forms affecting certain 
of our native trees and shrubs. Although many species are found 
in some tropical countries, those occurring in the United States are 
comparatively few in number. 
The eggplant lace-bug is one of the larger species of the United 
States and differs considerably in appearance from the others by rea- 
son of its prominent lacelike hood extending back of the head and the 
lacelike venation of the' wings. The adult (PL I, fig. 2) is depressed 
or flat bodied, grayish to fight brown, about 4 millimeters (yw 0i> an 
inch) in size, and derives its popular name from the delicate lacelike 
structure of the wing covers. 
Following is a technical description of the adult by Mr. Otto 
Heidemann: 1 
Body rather flat; dark brown; angulated; yellow rim of the rostral groove very dis- 
tinct at base of metasternum. Head dark, deeply punctured; at frontal part three 
small slender spines, the upper one more prominent; two others near to the eyes a 
little longer. Antennae quite long, hairy; basal joint comparatively thick, black, 
and somewhat longer than the terminal joint, which is fusciform and black at the 
apex; second joint the shortest, testaceous; third more than four times as long as the 
fourth joint, yellowish white; bucculse moderately expanded, yellowish, with one 
row of minute areoies. 
1 Heidemann, Otto. A new species of North American Tingitida?. In Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., v. 16, 
mo. 3, p. 136-137, 1 fig., Sept. 26, 1914. 
