Bulletin 151, Truck and Garden Insects


 THE CRANE-FLY BUG (Leptocorisa tipuloides)
 This is a slender light-brown bug about 5/8 of an inch long,
and only about a twelfth of an inch wide. Its slender body and
long legs suggest a crane-fly, hence the name. It can be killed
by a strong soap and tobacco solution, using about 5 pounds of
soap and a half pint of black leaf "40" to each 50 gallons of
water. It is a common insect on grass in Florida.

 THE BIG CONVICT BUG (Corecoris confluentis)
 This insect is brownish yellow in color and grows to be
nearly an inch long and a half inch wide. Its abdomen is crossed
by a number of wide stripes, strongly suggesting the clothing of
a convict. It is common in the southern part of the state and
does about the same character of damage as the pumpkin bug. It
inflicts severe damage on the fruit, which turns yellow about the
punctures and soon drops. It also attacks tomatoes.
 LACE BUGS
 These are tiny sucking insects which sometimes heavily at-
tack eggplant. They derive their name from the character of
the wings. Thickened raised veins form a conspicuous network
over wings and thorax, so that the whole bug as viewed from
above seems covered with the most delicate lace. There are
several species found on eggplant, none of them much over an
eighth of an inch long. These insects can be controlled by to-
bacco sprays.
 The Colorado potato beetle (see page 179) also attacks egg-
plant.
 LETTUCE
 THE PITTED LYGAEID (Geocoris punctipes) (See also page 170)
 This is a small (1/6 inch long) dark brown insect which
works on lettuce very much as does the tarnished plant bug. It
is related to the chinch bug, and is the common cause of the
yellow and dead spots in our St. Augustine grass lawns. Like
its relative, it works all winter except during the coldest days.
It is larger than the chinch bug, especially the head. Its light
brown thorax is thickly covered with shallow black pits. It is
also a pest of cotton.
 The best spray for lettuce is one composed of two pounds
 lead arsenate and two fifths of a pint of black leaf "40" inr 50 gal-
 lons of bordeaux mixture. This will control most insect enemies
 and fungi.