The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-07-01

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A common farm insect known
tBy l.. NJ. PEARS. College OF Agricul'
ture, West Virginia University
In the present.day condition of the
practice OF scientific agriculture It is
essential that the farmer know some
thing OF the insect pests that require
special measures for their control. The
upto-daie farmers are rapidly learning
these essentials. They are learning
which pests attack their orchards,
which others work on their garden
crops, which ones inJure their live
stock. and which ones carry diseases.
Why not simplify the matter and learn
something OF the general classification
OF insects? 1t is rot only an interest.
ing study, but II is one that Is likely
at any time TO prove Of value When
a new pest appears, as may happen at
any time in any section Of the coun.
try, the person who knows insects in
general will he able TO tell, By cxami.
nation OF the insect itself, about what
control measures will be necessary
and by little further observation,
when 10 apply these measures lie
Will thus cut out the delay occasioned
by sending specimens away for iden.
LITIGATION and by getting his remedies
on early may prevent much OF the
damage that might otherwise have
been done. In many cases OF cut.
breaks OF insect pests that occur only
rarely and are thus not well known, 1t
is of the greatest importance that any
remedies that may be used be applied
when the insects are first noticed.
Few people know just what consti.
tutes an insect. 4 non.technical de.
scription that will identify most adult
forms is: Any animal which has six
legs. a pair OF feelers or an,ennae, n
body composed OF several rings or seq.
menis. and frequently one or TWO pairs
OF wings. As most insects are winged
we recognize them by the presence OF
wings since they resemble no other
winged animals. II the animal is not
winged but does possess six legs, one
may be reasonably certain without
further examination that IL is not an
Insect.
The group tclassl. which includes
the insects, Is divided into many small.
er groups (orders). Some six or eight
OF these contain all the insects OF great
economic importance and most OF the
others that are likely TO attract much
notice. These orders are separated by
differences in the wings, differences in
the structure OF the mouth parts, that
Is. whether they are made to chew
food or to suck up liquids. and the DIFF.
ferent ways in which they pass their
periods OF growth and development:
whether It be. as In the grasshopper.
simple and direct 1.-THE young insect
Just ont OF the egg being in outward
appearance very much like the full.
grown insect, but merely lacking wings
ana being very SMALL. or like the but.
terf1y. The young of the butterfly are
usually worm.like, are called cater.
pillars. grubs. maggots. sluSs. or even
worms. They do most of their feeding
and accomplish all their growth while
In this stage. Then they enter a rest
Ing or inactive pupal stage. where great
changes take place. and after a time
the adult butterfly. moth. bee. beetle,
or fly comes forth.
BY means of the following descrlp.
tiGns and the explanations Just given
nearly any Of the more common forms
OF insects should be recognized and
placed in their proper orders.
Grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches
arc katydids, as veil as some less
well.known sorts, are grouped together
as the first Of the larger orders, the
Orthoptera. All these have mouth
parts formed for chewing food: they
have four wings. the front pair being
narrow and Ieathery or thickened. and
the hind pair thin, folded like fan
and often brightly colored, rs In Ger.
tain grasshoppers. They develop di-
rectly, the young resembling the adults
closely enough so that they may be
easily recognized.
The True Bugs. the scale insects.
plant lice or aphids. the 17-year locust,
o. cicada. and many other forms are
AL included in an order called the
Hemipsera. They all have sucking
mouth parts. usually adapted for direct
deN elopment similar 10 the members
Of the preceding order. In one group
o. this order the front wings overlap
st The tips. are narrow at the base,
and are carried fiat on the back. There
Is a distinct triangle formed at the
base Of the front wings. just in the
riddle Of the back. which forms a
good recognition mark. All insects
that answer 10 this general descrip-
tlor are true bugs. Mary other forms
ara On lIod huyu k,St onlv thosn IL ,kt-