This insect is a native species and is largely concentrated up the upper Mississippi Valley and its tributaries. In years of serious outbreak, damage has gone into millions of dollars. Chinch bug damage in a small grain field first appears as small spots of drying grain. These areas gradually enlarge until, under severe infestation, an entire field may be affected. In corn, first the lower leaves and then the whole plant wilts and soon turns white.
Damage resembles that caused by severe frost or fire.
This condition continues into the field as far as the heavy infestation. Some bugs, however, may be found on plants 50 to 100 rows beyond the furthest point of visible damage. Damage thus ranges from complete crop loss in severe infestations to no damage in light infestations. Since the bugs are small, most plants can tolerate a moderate number of them. Damage occurs, however, when hundreds or thousands of them mass on individual plants.