The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-03-21
LU66ER AND BUGS.
The Professor Speaks of the Lar
val Stages.

year, has the following to say:
As soon as the soil becomes warmer
towards spring the bugs show greater
activity during the warmer portions of
the day, and are very apt to crowd to-
gether in spots particularly warm. At
this time they do not yet require food.
! But as the nights become also warmer
they commence to show their appetite
by tapping the tender grasses now ap-
pearing. Towards the end of May,
though sometimes much earlier or
later, according to the climatic condi-
tons of the season, the bugs become
decidedly active. In exceptionally
early and warm springs, mating takes
place in many cases before leaving
THEN alternating quarters, though as
general rule it does not occur until
breeding places have been selected.
During long continued warm and
dry autumn, mating chinch-bugs are
not so very uncommon, yet such cas-
es are an exception, not rule. When
the proper time arrives, all the bugs
take to their wings and fly about in
search of food for themselves and for
their prospective. offsprings. Not in
frequently the air is filled with their
winged bodies, and this is sometimes
the only time that they attract general
attention, as theysfrequently entirely
cover horses, wagons and persons.
This is critical period for fields that
have so far escaped their ravages. As
the weight of such bugs is but slight,
they can be carried away by the winds
to very distant localities. In fact, the
stronger the wind at this time the far
Their the trouble may spread. This no
doubt accounts for the presence of the
chinch-bug in regions but poorly
adapted to their requirements; for in
stance, in isolated meadows surround
ed by dense pine forests. This is al
so the time when the otherwise safe
western prairies of our State may be
invaded for the season, and if sufficient
shelters can be found in windbreaks
the pest may be established in this
newly conquered region for several
years. Such flights only take place
when the air is dry, and only during
the heated portion of the day. The
reason for such flights is self-evident;
they are made to find feeding places
for themselves and for their offspring.
But not every field with inviting
young plants of barley and wheat has
attraction for such insects; the fields
must be of certain kind. Fields
with a sandy soil, we'll drained by be-
ing situated on a knoll, and which
warm upsreadily are preferred; or
fields that either from being poorly
cultivated or from being more or less
exhausted of vegetable food, have a
poor stand of plants. Such fields are
almost invariably selected simply be-
cause the soil is exposed to the direct
rays of the sun, and because chinch-
bugs dearly love warmth and dryness.
When settled in their new home the
bugs make up for the long fast en-
forced upon them by the winter, but
soon afterwards the sexes commence
to mate. Those that had alread y mat
ed soon commence to deposit eggs,
and thus the egg-laying season lasts
four weeks or more. A field may con-
tain untold numbers of bugs and yet
have but very few visible, and those
nearly all in the act of mating, which
usually takes place upon the ground.
By shaking the plants or, better by
pulling them up with their roots-the
true state of affairs will become pain
fully visible. The great majority of
the bugs enter the ground for protec-
ton, and obtain their food by tapping
the lower parts of the stalks of grass
es and cereals. Though not equipped
with legs fit for digging, they find an
entrance near the plant, made for
them by the swaying of the stems in
the wind. Here they enter and make
their homes, surrounded by plenty of
food-the sap of nearly all species of
the grass family.
The egg is rather large for such an
insect, measuring about O.O3 inch; it
is elongate oval, with the diameter
about one-fifth the length. By OBJ
serving such an egg with powerful
lens, it will be found quite pretty af-
fair. 1t has squarely locked top,
snrmounted with f01r rounded tnhor-