Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-04-08
The Meadow Plant Bug.

| Tho collection records and notes OF tb
Maine Agricultural Experiment Static
for some years have indicated that th
IN the state to be guilty of very consider
able damage to the hay crop.
Curiously enough, however, although
this insect was decribed In 1853 Il
Europe and introduced to the Unitet
States about 100 years ago where for th
past 40 1t has been present in grea
abundance over large area, almos
nothing concerning its economic impor
tance had been published either In th'
old world or the new. No detailed stud.
of life-history, habits or economic statu
had been made even in the regions wher'
it has been longeat known.
rioultural Experiment Station was graft
fed to be able to arrange with DIR
Herbert Osborn, Research Professor o.
Zoulogy and E,omology at the Ohio
State University, to undertake., as
member Of the Station Summer Staff, {
study of this important species which
curiously enough had been almost totally
neglected.
The Meadow Plant Bug has been abun
dant In Maine for many years and hai
been observed at Fort Kent, Presqut
Isls, Houlton, Saddleback Mt, Orono
PHILIPPE and other points between Farm
ington and Dallas.
II 10 evidently safe to assign its distri
button In the State to all parts where
suitable grasses occur and 1t may conf
IDENTIFY be expected to occur 10 all old
meadow land where timothy forms 9
part OF the combination during the
months of June, July and August and
search in the stems will be pretty sure to
disclose them as eggs during other
months Of the year.
Some idea Of the effrcts produced by
the Meadow Plant Bug may be, secured
6y noting the enormous numbers tha,
are hanging TO the plants and especially
to the heads during the time timothy ID
in bloom. Often,a number may be seen
clinging to single head, from three to
five being not unusual. The fact that
they suck the bloom doubtless means q
heavy loss in seed or In weight and
nutritive value of hay, although there Is
little external evidence OF injury.
The results of Doctor Osborn's studies
are being published in Bulletin 276 ol
this Station. The following summary
-oevers the main points brought out In
the bulletin which is still in the hands OF
the printer.
The Meadow Plant Bag has bsen a
conspicuous insect in timothy meadows
in portions OF the eastern United States
during the past 40 years and now has q
distribution as far west as Illinois and
Minnesota and south in the Mississippi
Valley into Kentucky.
1t is believed to be an introduced
species, coming from Europe with tim.
othy hay or other large.stemmed grass
shipped for forage or packing sometime
between 1900 and 1925.
1t feeds upon cultivated grasses, es.
peoially timothy, orchard grass, and
meadow fescue, and when abundant
must seriously affect the value of the
crop.
It is . dimorpbic species, there being
two forms of females, q long winged
and short-winged form, the latter being
far more plentiful, about 80 per cent.
The species bibernates in the egg
form; Matching occurs about May Is to
June 10 in Maine; and the nymphs pass
through five instars of about six or seven
days each, adults occurring from early
July, mating and laying eggs from July
10 to August l for the short-wingsd
forms necessarily In the fields where the
females have developed.
The eggs are laid In stems of grass OF
clover In fields where females have
grown, being thrust through the wall oi
the stem and held by an expanded cap
which is firmly held by the walls of the
stem, the egg being protected in the hol'
low of the stem and In this position re-
main for at least eight or nine months
before hatohing.
Measures for control 80 far evident
and based on habits determined will
consist especially Of rotation, with prob.
ably some advantage from burning,
early cutting, pasturing heavily In fall,
and possibly by mechanical devices for
capturing the nymphs or adults.
The spread of the insect should be pre-.
vented BY care 10 the disposition OF
Timothy hay moved to distance. M
hay from an infested district should be
allowed to be scattered In or near
mead0ws In localities where the insect
is not already present.
Natural enemies consist so far ss at
present known OF spiders, the predaceoui
damssl bugs, tachnid fly, and species
OF fungus.-Chas. D. Woods, Director