Antenna Head Pronotum Thorax Femora Scutellum Corium \ Abdomen Membrane Drawing of typical chinch bug.. Blissus leucopterus (Say); this is long-winged form. How to Identify and Control Chinch Bugs Results of another Weeds and Turf field research project HERE is some confusion in mouthparts as are found in the family, not because the chinch T mosquito. At rest the stylet is held bug is typical but because it is the entomological circles which di- between the legs almost parallel most destructive member of the rectly affects the turf pest control to the body. family. Lygaeids are generally business. The mention of "chinch Another character which helps phytophagus or plant sap suckers. bug" by a worker in one part of to distinguish Hemiptera is the They insert their beaks into tender the country can be interpreted by scutellum. This is a triangular portions of plants, usually of the two other people, in other areas, structure directly on the back of grass family, and feed on juices as different insects. This part of the insect which might be de- from the insides. the problem is practical, the other scribed as "right between his Blissus is the genus of this part is academic* It seems that shoulder blades." Although He- family in which we are interested. there is confusion whether hirtus miptera share this character with The following characters will help and insularis listed below as sub- another insect group, when one identify a member of the genus species should be subspecies or finds an insect with a scutellum Blissus. The slightly cone-shaped should be listed directly under and divided wings, he can be head is bent gradually downward leucopterus as a separate and dis- certain it's a Hemipteran. anteriorly. The antennae are as tinct species. long as the head and the pronotum To begin a short study of chinch The family which concerns us combined. The pronotum covering bugs, it is necessary to know some- here is Lygaeidae (lie-gee'-ih-dee), the thorax is convex in the middle, thing about the order and family sometimes called the chinch bug tapering downward at the sides. to which chinch bugs belong. The scutellum previously de- Order Hemiptera is that insect Figure 1. Here is the classification of the chinch scribed does not have a ridge down group which comprises the true bwg, showing the "subspecies" which have per- the middle of it as other members bugs. "Hemiptera" refers to the plexed some researchers. of this family may have. When the front wing structure of this order. adult insect is at rest, all that can The basal portion of the wing is Class: Insecta be seen is a small part of the sides thickened and somewhat leathery; of the abdomen below the wings; it is called the corium. The apical Order: Hemiptera the wings do not completely cover or distal portion is typically mem- the abdomen but leave a slight branous as is the second set or Family: Lygaeidae margin showing. hind wings. With only half of the front set membranous, we get the Genus: Blissus Blissus leucopterus (Say) is the term descriptive of the order, chinch bug of agricultural infamy. hemiptera or "half wing." At rest Species: leucopterus Thomas Say, a nineteenth century taxonomist, originally described insects in this order fold their Subspecies: wings across their backs so that this species in a genus other than Blissus; that is why his name ap- an "X" pattern is suggested. -hirtus? Hemiptera also have piercing, pears in parentheses after the species name. sucking mouthparts made up of -insularis? fused maxillae and mandibles (2 Since Blissus leucopterus is the each). There are no accessory representative type for chinch bugs, let us examine the life cycle perature, in 1 to 2 weeks or per- This is a good point for recognition of this agricultural pest and see haps longer. The young nymphs, of the species. how it applies to residential pest as they are called, are bright red Total maturation takes about control. and about half the size of a pin- 35 days. Egg-laying processes Life Cycle head. They insert their mouth- begin 7 to 10 days after the adult Adults come out of hibernation parts into plants where they were stage is reached. Females will lay in the spring when temperatures hatched and begin sucking the second generation eggs usually on rise into the 70's. They may have plant juices. Many feed on the young corn plants or other grasses spent the winter in any number same plant and this is what causes which may be succulent at this of places: in clumps of perennial the yellow spots on grass. As the time. grasses, under leaves and litter insects move outward from the In the southern portion of the near small woods, under hedges, area which they have killed, a chinch bug's range, there may be in shocks of corn, under bark of circular pattern of damage is seen. three broods of young each year; trees or in cracks of fenceposts, or Metamorphosis is gradual; in other places only two. under boards or shingles of homes nymphs pass through 5 instars or There are two forms of the or outbuildings. These hibernating growth stages in becoming fully chinch bug Blissus leucopterus, a places will generally have a south- winged adults. They molt 4 times. long-winged form, with wings ex- west exposure to gain benefit from There is no pupa or resting stage tending over the abdomen, and a the sparse winter sun. Usually in the life cycle. Nymphs look short-winged form with fully de- large groups of adult chinch bugs essentially like the adults except veloped wings which hardly cover will be found hibernating in one for the bright red coloration and the abdomen. Throughout the place. the absence of wings. central United States where the Mating is thought to take place With each successive molt, the chinch bug is mainly an agricul- before the bugs take flight from red color diminishes until the adult tural pest, the long-winged form the hibernation spot. After mat- color,black, is reached. Adults are predominates. ing, the few adults which have K inch long and black with only Blissus leucopterus has a range survived the winter fly to the slight reddish tinges around their almost covering the entire United nearest field of wheat or small legs. Their bodies are somewhat States. It is mainly an agricultural grain where the adult females lay hairy or fuzzy. Adult wings are pest in the Mississippi, Missouri several hundred eggs over a period white (leuco-pterus means ''white and Ohio River valleys, but it of about 20 days. wing") with a black triangle on causes trouble from the Appalach- Eggs hatch, depending on tem- the outer margin of the front wing. ians to the Rocky mountains.jThe agricultural chinch bug ranges as America (1926): "More robust the specimens taken were the far north as Quebec and New than typical leucopterus with short-wing forms." This is thought England and west to British Co- longer and denser and more erect by some to be a criterion for lumbia; south and west to Florida, yellowish hairs on the pronotum elevating it to species rank. Texas and Mexico. and sides of the abdomen. The Short-wing forms are those with Although not generally found femora are often dark brown smaller, yet mature, wings. These in California, Arizona, and Wash- (rather than reddish)." forms do not appear to have large ington, B. leucopterus has been Hirtus is a domestic pest, that scale migrations from one food collected in those states. is, it attacks lawns and golf courses plant to another as is commonly With facts about Blissus leucop- rather than agricultural crops. Its observed for the long-wing form. terus well in hand, we can continue feeding causes circles of yellowing Lawn Chinch Bug to investigate the other species and death of grasses, mainly bent- A third chinch bug exists in the which are nonagricultural yet eco- grass, in lawns. southern parts of the United nomically important and trouble- Although found predominately States. Opinion here is also divided some. in New England, the hairy chinch as to whether the lawn chinch bug, Hairy Chinch Bug bug does extend its range west as it is commonly called, should be In the northeast sector of the through New York, Pennsylvania, named Blissus leucopterus insularis United States, we find another Ohio, and even as far west as Iowa. Barber or Blissus insularis Barber. chinch bug. It is called the hairy Hirtus has also been taken in Insularis is described as being chinch bug. There is divided Minnesota. shorter and narrower than typical opinion whether it is a separate Just as chinch bugs (leucopterus) leucopterus. The antennae have a species or only a subspecies of have long- and short-wing forms, relatively shorter terminal seg- leucopterus. Consequently two long predominating, there are ment. The pronotum is a deep names are found in the literature long- and short-wing forms for velvety black, and has a promi- describing it: Blissus hirtus Mon- the hairy chinch bug. Short-wing nent silvery-gray pubescence tandon and Blissus leucopterus forms are the most common for (hairiness) on the anterior portion. hirtus Montd. hirtus. The overall hairiness (villosity) is Color characters which attempt "At one time," explains Pro- shorter and sparser than leucop- to distinguish hirtus (we shall call fessor J. B. Polivka of the Ohio terus. it simply hirtus because of the Agricultural Experiment Station The wings appear more whitish, doubt as to its status) come from at Wooster,' 'hirtus was considered and the dark portions of the wings Blatchley's Heteroptera of North a distinct species because 50% of are described as being strongly ARBOR I ST SUPPLY co.