Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-07-04
The GRAIN PLAYHOUSE IN OHIO

THE GRAIN PLAYHOUSE IN OHIO
Clarence NJ. Weed, Entomologist and Botanist
One of the most notable insect out
breaks that has occurred in Ohio for
many years is now taking place in the
grain fields of the State. The insect is
one which has long been known as the
Grain Farmhouse (SiphonOphora gra-
nqriq), having originally occurred in
Europe, from whence it was probably
introduced into this country early in its
history. 1t has only occasionally raw
aged grain fields here, and so far as our
present information goes, has seldom
been injurious in Ohio.
The insect is now present, however in
destructive numbers over large portion
of the State, having already seriously in
jured the wheat, and is now threatening
an equally serious injury to the oats and
other grains. Last year it was present
in many of the northern counties, not
becoming sufficiently abundant to at
tract notice until the oats were nearly
ripe.
This insect is closely related to the
etc. 1t is small, greenish, or in some
cases brownish insect, with or without
wings, infesting the leaves and heads of
plants of the grass family. 1t obtains
its food by inserting a pointed beak in
to the leaf or stem and sucking out the
sap. As the wheat gets ripe it migrates
to the more. succulent oats, and when
these ripen, will go to various grasses.
1t brings forth living young, and its rate
of multiplication is very great, it being
estimated that a single louise in spring
may become the ancestor of many mil
lions before autumn.
Fortunately this insect has great
many enemies which prey upon it, and
are now doing immense good in decima-
ting its ranks. These are of various
kinds, and in some places are mistaken
for foes instead of friends of the farmer.
The one which is causing the most ap-
prehension is peculiar dark colored,
six-fOOted insect, generally with spots
of a brighter color on its back, looking,
as one person expressed it, "half worm
and half bug" which is very abundant
in the infested wheat fields, crawling
about over the heads. These are the
young or Larvae of various species of la
dy-bugs, or lady beetles, and instead of
attacking the wheat, as many farmers be-
lieve, is really feeding upon the lice
themselves and destroying them by
thousands. Another insect that is do
ing immense good is very small four
winged fly that deposits an egg within
the louise. This egg matches into grub
that develops at the expense of the
louise, destroying it and emerging again
as four-winged fly. The dead lice
struck" by these parasites become dull
brown in color, and adhere to the leaf or
stem upon which they were feeding.
Besides these, various other enemies
are attacking the lice, and the indica-
tiOns now are that the outbreak will be
so checked by the end of the season that
there will be little danger of a repetition
of the attack next year.
As yet no practical artificial remedy
for the Grain Farmhouse is known. AT
the Station we have found that kerosene
will destroy them, but the diff
ficulty of reaching them with this sub
stance when they occur on the under sur
face of the leaf or imbedded in the chaff
of the head, makes the remedy hardly
practical
The injury to the wheat will be mani
tested by the shriveling of the grain
due to the extraction of the sap necessa-
ry for its perfect development.