Some of the More Important Insects of 
1903. 
By CLARENCE P. GILLETTE. 
mm bug. 
The Gram Bug (Pentama sayi Stal.*) 
[PL I. Fig. H.] 
Early in August complaints came to the Experiment Station 
of a large green bug that was doing extensive injuries to grain and 
other crops in Montezuma county. Mr. S. A. Johnson was sent to 
investigate the trouble. He went directly to Cortez and was 
greatly assisted in the work by Mr. P. S. Taylor of that place. 
The following is an extract from Mr. Johnson’s report of what he 
found: 
u Mr. Taylor took me to a number of fields of wheat and oats 
that had been injured by the green plant-bug'- He says that the 
bugs appeared in great numbers in the fields of grain when they 
were just heading out where they accumulated upon the heads 
and seemed especially to suck the juices of the forming kernels. 
As the grain would reach maturity the bugs would migrate to oth¬ 
er fields where the grain was not so far advanced. At present the 
attack is less severe, much of the grain having matured but still 
in most fields four or five strokes of an insect net will collect a 
handful of the bugs and many of the insects are upon the lower 
portions of the plants and upon the grou.nd. The injuries in the 
grain fields are indicated by the presence of the blasted heads that 
have few or no kernels in them and which have ripened and turned 
white prematurely (see plate II. Fig. A.) : 
“The injury to oats was very severe. In some cases entire 
fields of grain appeared to be destroyed. Often the heads were 
blasted from the punctures of the bugs before they appeared above 
the leaf sheath. 
“The insect seems to be a rather general feeder. It was re¬ 
ported upon first cutting of alfalfa, and upon sunflowers, sage and 
garden vegetables, especially peas. But very few were obtained 
""Determined for us by Mr. E. P. VanDuzee; also by Mr. Otto Heidemann, through the 
kindness of Dr. L. O. Howard. ' * 
