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l .
i Two lmpormizt Enemies of Bluegrass Pastures 35
y
i April-May, 1925. In 1924 came the first outbreak of the pest
g that drew the attention of seed handlers and stockmen. The
'S adults were observed May 29 of that year in great swarms on i
a the Taylor farm near Versailles, in Woodfordjeounty. As one I
G- traveled along the pike in the neighborhood of this farm the bugs T ‘
in could be seen blackcning the grass. Complaints came in about
is ` this date from various sources in \Voodford, Fayette and Bour- .
la bon counties, constituting the region in which the greater part . l . L
__ of the blusgrass seeds are harvested. At this -ti1ne the seed crop L
ib’ on 60 acres of the Taylor farm was destroyed, entailing a loss A
gz) of something like $4,000, it was believed. The bugs disappeared p L l
ld A as the seeds matured and nothing was seen of the insects , i .
yl again until April, 1925, when they were discovered in Bourbon p
county as young lurking in tufts of grass among the starting 1
ml _ blades. They had 11()I yet attracted the attention of farmers and  
L El _ seedsinen, tho the poor condition of the grass had been noted. · ¤
UL Later in the spring they became very common everywhere in pas- .
MTU tures, at Lexington, Paris and Winchester especially, and while . {
is more generally scattered than in 1924 did not gather in such l l
nm . large nu1nbe1·s on limited areas. i
ose i
(Bed THE HISTORY OF THE BLUEGRASS PLANT BUG IN THE  
tho UNITED STATES T
Of Its history in this country is peculiar in that while it ap-  
lug· pgal-(gd in Bjjussachuggttg Ovgr ]]i]]Qt)’ y(};1]_‘5 3gO, h2l\'l11g` pI`Oi)Z]»bly  
been brought to tha.t state from Europe, it did not attraet atten— ,  
tion in the middle states until about 1892, when it was observed  
msg to have become numerous among grasses in Ohio? it
hw' lt was present in Illinois as early as 1883, a. specimen in  
Dm" the Illinois State Laboratory Collection having been collected  
dig ill that year in the central part of the state, T i
iii]? t Ill New England where it first appeared. it very Q,`l‘&l£lll&llY l  
Qmm lllCl'l‘?l$(‘li in numbers-tho not attracting special attention, even  
Mm, -0f entoinologists, until Professor   Osborn of. Ohio began to  
QU'; Sfiltly it ni 1914 as an enemy of tnnkothy in Maine. S]N‘l'ilUCUS    
-00,], ’ill`*` lll lll? <¢<>lle¤·tion of the Boston Society of Natural History  
Stal.,   Webster, "Inseet Life," Vol. 5, page 92.