The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-05-22
RAVAGES OF
GREENHOUSE
IN OKLAHOMA
Experiment Station at Still
water Makes a Report.
1T DID MUCH DAMAGE
Farmers Had to RepIant in
Several Sections.

Saltwater. o. T, May 21.-In bulletin
just issued by the Oklahoma experiment
station the following with reference to the
plant louise is contained.
1T is appropriate at this time to notice
this insect whose ravages in wheat in
several counties of Oklahoma nave great
Iy. reduced the value OF this years crop.
By extensive correspondence and by con-
versations with many wheat growers.
uniform testimony is secured that
throughout the regions named below the
wheat or grain louise has greatly dam
aged this years crop. In fact the in
/ jury in some regions has been so great
that farmers hav preferred to replant
the wheat ground to some other crop. A
! recommendation to this effect was in
serted in some Of the newspapers Of the
territory some time ago.
'The station received the first specimen
| Of this louise early in April, and the en-
tomologist has since that time given
most Of his time TO a thorough investiga-
ton of the distribution and life history
of the insect. II became at once appar-
ent that the main damage was not due to
the Wen known grain louise (Siphonophora
avenae), whose structure and life his
tory have been so well aired in the news
! papers Of late. our form differs from the
I enc mentioned in several details and viii
S, On be described as a new variety close
ly related to the trus grain louise.
The greatest injury to wheat has oc-
, CURED in the following regions; Chicka-
saw and Cherokee nations and Cleveland,
( Canadian, Kinghsher, Lincoln, Logan,
Noble, Oklahoma, Payne. Pawnee and
Pottawatomie counties. In some cases it
was noted that the general trend OF the
migrations Of the insects was FIRM south
TO north. The louise, like its better known
I relative. is capable Of very rapid multiple
cation. and this is favored by weather.
Tha viparious females are wingIess, but
enough winged fen ales exist to enable the
SPECIES tc migrate from one field 10 an
other N search of food. These winged
! females were present IN large numbers
from about the middle of April to the
first of May.
There is no evidence that this louise has
a true egg-stage. It is probable that it
winters over in the adult stage and feeds
upon the leaves of the wheat during
favorable weather during the entire win
ter. The past winter was in some re-
spects very favorable to the development
of the louise in large numbers and it is
not therefore a matter for surprise that
such hordes Of lice should have appeared
so early in the spring.
There is no practical sproying method
,aat can be recommended against this in
sect pest. Some have suggested spraying
with the usual kerosene emulsion, and
that would probably reduce their number
II applied before they spread over a
large area. Our greatest hope lies. how
ever. in the rapid multiplication and en-
ergy Of the natural enemies of this louise.
The most natural and useful Of thes enc
mics in Oklahoma is surely one Of the
lady bird" beetles Chippodamia converg-
EMS. This is a nearly hemispherical bee
tie and Of a reddish brown color with
several black spots on the back. The
head and thorax are black with reddish
yellow margins. and the thorax has two
elongated reddish yellow spots.
The larvae Of these beetles are even
more rapacious and acuve than the ma
ture beetles. The larvae is a long, black
ish. somewhat hattened, and very active
larvae with sig legs Of more than usual
length. The larvae when it reaches ma
turity curls UP on some leaf or stem and
changes to the pupa from wmc- the ma
ture beetle energies in few days The
beetle lives over winter in q mature
stage jn crevices Of trees and boards.
These lady bird beetles have appeared
IN such large quantities in some parts OF
Oklahoma that the farmers have written
TO the experiment station for some rene
dy TO destroy Jnen. Every wheat grower
should loo on these beetles as his best
friend and in no case allow them to be
destroyed
Specimens OF the wheat louise and espe-
ciaIly suecimens OF all the beetles found
IN the wheat fields are very much desired
by the experiment station at Saltwater
and may be sent through the mail II IN
closed IN q tin or wooden 1ox.