It was planned to follow this up with later examination of nuts, and this was done with the assistance of Mr. J. C. McDaniel, but unfortunately it was found that this was the off year and the crop was very small, so we could not definitely settle that point. This will be a job for the future.
2. Hibernation studies.
In August of 1951, I introduced adult bugs into a cage placed over a branch of an unsprayed pecan tree for the purpose of determining whether there was possibly a third brood. Finding none the branch was removed and examined to study the hibernating eggs and the egg slits in which they were layed. The slits were not over a quarter inch long and frequently in pairs. Eggs were deep enough that they were rarely seen without opening the slits. Many slits were found containing egg shells, presumably from the previous brood, but possibly from a season earlier as the slits are corked over.
Following this study branches were cut from the sprayed and unsprayed blocks and gone over very carefully to find the numbers and location of the egg splits and the numbers containing live eggs and egg shells. Each split would contain as many as 5 or 6 eggs. Table 2 show their numbers and locations, and Table 3 the effect of sprays on numbers of live eggs.
Table 2. Pecan Spittle Bug Location of egg slits in branches
=================================================================
Diameter of branches, inches
1/8 to 1/4 3/4 3/8 1/2 1/2 to 1 inch
————————————————————————————————-
Live eggs 2 9 3 1 0
Egg shells 5 42 94 23 0
————————————————————————————————-
Table 3. Pecan Spittle Bug Effect of 1951 sprays on number of eggs
Examinations made March 4, 1952
=======================================================
Inches wood Number of Slits with
Treatment examined live eggs egg shells
———————————————————————————-
Check 508 10 63
TEPP 795 5 25
Lindane 478 0 13
———————————————————————————-
3. Life history and correlation of stages of insect and nut development.
It was soon found that the pecan spittle bug was putting in its appearance earlier according to the calendar than in 1951 so an effort was made during the season to correlate insect life history and nut development during the season. Table 4 give some of the principal points in both.