PLANT-BUGS INJURIOUS TO COTTON-BOLLS. 
HISTORICAL REVIEW OF PUBLISHED WRITINGS ON PLANT-BUGS 
INJURIOUS TO COTTON BOLLS. 
For reasons hereinafter explained, comparatively little has been 
written concerning insects of the suborder Heteroptera (better known 
as plant-bugs) in relation to their damage to cotton. The earliest 
records of this kind are found in the writings of Townend Glover. 
In the U. S. Agricultural Report for 1854, a in a short article on 
insects infesting the cotton plant, Glover writes: " Several insects 
(Pentatoma and Anisoscelis) were very abundant in the cotton fields, 
both on the bolls and leaves, which have been accused of piercing the 
young bolls for the sake of the juice, but as none were observed in 
the act it can not be stated definitely whether they actually do harm 
or not, before their habits have received further investigation." In 
the report published for the following year (1855) b the same writer 
gives a brief account of many insects which frequent the cotton 
plant, and refers to the rotting of bolls as possibly due to the feeding 
of plant-bugs, mentioning especially two Pentatomids, one appar- 
ently Nezara hilaris Say, and the other apparently of the genus 
Euscliistus, as also a Coreid, which, judging from the description and 
drawing, is Leptoglossus pliyllopus L. The cotton leaf-bug (Calocoris 
rapidus Say), which in 1903 and 1904 proved to be of considerable 
importance as a cotton pest in certain sections of Texas, was here 
first recorded in this connection and nearly two pages in this report 
were devoted to the well-known "red bug" or cotton stainer (Dysdercus 
suturellus II. Schf.), an account being given of its occurrence and 
depredations on cotton in Florida. The report for the year 1858 e 
contains additional notes on this latter pest. Xo writings concerning 
Heteropterous insects attacking cotton bolls, published between the 
date of this last-mentioned report and that for the year 1875, are 
known to the writer. In Glover's report for 1875 d the cotton 
a Agricultural Report for L854, p. til. 
6 Agricultural Report for L855, pp. 86 87, 9^-95, 103-105. 
c Agricultural Report for L858, pp. l'71 273, 
d Report of Commissioner of Agriculture for L875, p. 124. 
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