Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-05-10
The Green Bug or Southern Grain

. ~ NiSShi IUS VI fDOttliSEu SIuIn
Louise.
AT this writing this insect is caus-
ing much alarm among the farmers
OF the State. The reason for this
heavy outbreak is due principally at
least to the warm weather OF Febru-
AIRY. In normal seasons this pest Is
kept well under control by It's natu-
raj enemies, the most important of
these being a parasitic wasp. The
work Of this wasp is in evidence i'm
nearly every green bug infested field.
When examining infested oats or
wheat, small spherical stationary
plmples of a brown or blackish color
are present. These represent lice
that were killed by the parasitic
wasp. This wasp has a very eff
cient arrangement for laying it's
eggs.
1T penetrates the body Of the green
bug with It's egg guide and lays the
egg therein. This egg matches into
a small white grub which
the inside of the green bug, thus kill
ing 1T. II wasp continues to uti.
iZe the dead body as a pupa case in
which the third stage OF its life his
tory is passed. When full grown 1T
perforates tho wall Of this dead dried
up bug and escapes into the open.
1t is during abnormal weather
conditions when the parasite loses
control OF the green bug. 1t is ex-
planned as follows: The green bug
breeds In Il temperature ranging
from 33 degrees to 90 degrees Fab
renheit. The parasite is, however, a
hot weather bug and goes into the
dormant or Information stage at
about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. 1t was
the warm weather Of February that
enabled the green bug to reproduce
rapidly, but the weather was not
warm enough for the parasite to be-
come very active. During this pc
Rod OF freedom the green bug gain.
ed advantage. The average life .f
the individual green bug is about
thirty-six days, and during this Pc
Rod the average production of off
springs Is about siXt.". They give
birth to living young and these ma
ture IN seven days and begin to re-
produce by giving birth to living
young. When the food supply be-
comes scarce in a given field, they
greatly Increase the number of wing
Q" forms Which migrate to other
s}nir fields.
Summarizing all the experimental
WORK Of The pasG with a view Of con-
railing The lest the following rec
1mmuudajiuns, while not satisfac-
tory to us, are the most practical
and effective:
1. When the infestatfon is first
noticed in the winter, during or az
ter a warm spell, run a weeder over
the oats both ways. This may have
to be repeated, depending on wea-
Their conditions.
2. When the infestation has be-
come very serious, light brush tied
together and drawn over the grain
"Au uSoSioSo manly Vi LuC
green bugs.
8. 1t Is recommended that fields
badly damaged at present, consider
ing weather conditions, be plowed
and planted to another crop.
4. Where damage is light at this
time in a given field in addition to
the above recommendations, we be-
lieve that stimulation Nth soda
would save the crop.
5. If the land Is very level, roll
ing with a heavy roller is profitable.
The above recommendations, with
the exception of No. s, are intended
for grain that has not yet matted.
Those measures are not profitable on
matted grain and the only thing to
do in that case Is to Craze it with
cattle. The trampling, as well as the
grazing, are destructive to the green
bug.
This subject is under investiga-
ton with the hope that something
more effective will develop.
A. f. Conrad,
State EntOmOlogiSt.