ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [July, 'iQ 



Asclepias sp. Small "Milk weed" 



Solanum rostratum "Horse nettle" 



Amphiachyris dracunculoidcs "Broom weed" 



Monarda punctata "Horse mint" 



Vcrbesina helianthoidcs "Crownbread" 



Xanthium strumarium "Cockle bur" 



Chcnopodium botrys "Jerusalem oak" 



Chenopodium album "Lamb's quarter" 



Phytolacca decandra "Poke root" 



Eupatorium altcrnifolium "Ditch weed" 



Xanthoxylum clava-hcr culls "Prickly ash" 



Acacia farncsiana "Huisache" 



They were found feeding on the following cultivated crops : 



Gossypium hirsutum Cotton 



Zca Mays (only the silk is eaten) Corn 



Cucumis mclo Cantaloupe 



Medicago satiz'a Alfalfa 



Arachis hypogoea Peanut 



They eat all garden truck. 



The first infestation appeared on weeds in pastures and on 

 the roadsides. Where the weeds were plentiful they did no 

 damage to crops, but where weeds were scarce the caterpillars 

 invaded the fields, especially cotton fields. 



When very young, three pounds of Paris green and five 

 pounds of lime, made into fifty gallons of spray, will kill the 

 caterpillars ; but where they are large, no poisons or repellants 

 seem to have any effect on them. 



Some farmers claim to have kept caterpillars out of their 

 fields, until a fair yield was assured, by dusting ahead of them 

 with pure Paris green. When the caterpillars reached the poi- 

 soned plants they turned back. Other farmers claimed to have 

 saved a paying crop by going along the infested side and hand- 

 picking and killing the caterpillars. This was practicable up to 

 August and no doubt did some good. The caterpillars do not 

 feed fast and do not all travel in the same direction as most 

 army worms do. 



Up to October all of the caterpillars were of the light yellow 

 variety, occasionally a mature specimen approaching a light 

 brown. After October 10 all caterpillars were black. 



* This is possibly Bocbera papposa (Tagctcs). 



