June, ’24] 
PHIPPS: STILT-BUG INJURING TOMATO 
391 
Distribution and Food Plants 
Jalysus spinosus Say formerly belonged to the Berytidae and has 
been referred to by Howard, Comstock and other writers in discussing 
that family. The insect has a wide distribution, having been recorded 
from New England to the Rocky Mountains. It is often found in the 
undergrowth of oak woods, according to Howard. This doubtless ac¬ 
counts for its abundance in the post oak sections of Missouri. It has 
been recorded as feeding on sumac, hazel, peach, com, tomato, horse 
nettle, and several members of the Onagraceae or Evening Primrose 
family. The writer has noted it feeding on the eggplant as well as on 
com and tomato in the garden, but has never been able to find eggs upon 
the former. During 1914 Somes recorded it from all parts of Missouri 
and as far north as Sioux City, Iowa. 
Nature of Injury 
The nymphs and adults of this species feed on the juices of the tomato 
and other plants. They injure the tomato by inserting their beaks in the 
stems, blossom buds, and fruit itself. (PI. 4, Fig. 1) The principal in¬ 
jury results from the blossom and fruit stem punctures which cause the 
blossoms to wither up and drop off, or at any rate to fail to set fruit. 
Altho the insects are rather sluggish, the adults fly readily when dis¬ 
turbed and may be a factor in the spread of southern blight and other 
tomato diseases. 
Life History 
Since the insect failed to attract attention until about the middle of 
July, this season, the writer was unable to follow its entire life-cycle. 
The adults winter over under leaves and rubbish of various sorts, emerge 
in the spring and feed upon wild host plants until the more attractive 
truck crops are growing in the fields. The first generation of nymphs is 
probably passed on these wild hosts, the resulting adults migrating to 
the cultivated plants in June or early July. There are two complete 
broods and a partial third, on the tomato, according to our observations 
this season. Many nymphs of the third brood, on the tomato, failed to 
reach maturity owing to freezing weather early in November. Ovi- 
position occurred abundantly on the tomato the latter part of July and 
again a little over a month later. The eggs are deposited, singly, on the 
upper and lower surfaces of the leaves, on the stems, and on the blos¬ 
soms. Females in confinement averaged from 7 to 10 eggs each. These 
