444 
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
[Vol. 16 
out this period the kernels were sufficiently formed to allow of the de¬ 
velopment of the spots. 
During the time of the 3rd and 4th series, in which 100% of the nuts 
were affected (and none dropped), figures 5 to 7, plate 6, the shells were 
still fairly soft; the nuts with plenty of meat for attack; but the meats 
were not at all mature, and liquid could be extracted with the resultant 
collapse of the cells. 
From the time the kernels commenced to mature, figures 7 to 8, the 
percentage of affection decreased. There was no change of appearance 
in the spots formed in this 5th period and the number per nut did not 
decrease materially. The nuts of course varied somewhat in their rate 
of development and the results obtained simply indicate that at the be¬ 
ginning of this period 50% of the kernels were so well hardened that feed¬ 
ing by the insects failed to empty the cells or to break down their walls. 
After the stage shown in figure 8, kernel spot could not be produced 
by the insects. In series VI only one spot was produced, and this was 
on a kernel which was obviously not as mature as the other nuts of the 
series, at the time of examination. 
The adult insects fed very freely on the nuts, up to the time of harvest. 
Even after the shucks had split the insects continued their attack, forc¬ 
ing themselves between the loose shuck and the shell and thrusting their 
beaks directly through the shells. The bugs are able to pierce the shells 
even when these are so hard that it requires considerable strength to 
crack them, as when they are ready to be harvested. 
Kernel spot is caused only by adult insects. Nymphs in the last instar 
were confined in several cages. Of these only one was able to molt and 
no spots occurred on any of the nuts. Some twenty batches of eggs laid 
by females in the cages, were allowed to temain and hatch, naturally. 
All of the young molted once, since they do not feed in the first instar, 
but of over twelve hundred nymphs only four reached the third instar; 
and these died in that stage. 
This brings out a very interesting point that while the pecan is a feed¬ 
ing host of the bug, it is not a breeding host. The insects breed most 
freely, in South Georgia, on legumes, and of these cow peas, soy beans 
and mung beans appear to be the favorites. Other common breeding 
hosts are okra, and cotton. Various observers have reported the species 
as attacking practically every garden and field crop grown in the south 
but, unfortunately, no attempt has been made to distinguish between 
breeding hosts and feeding hosts, so a complete list of the former can 
not be given at present. 
