INSECTS. 217 



with the extremity of the knob at the end whitish. Before 

 the middle of the thorax there is a polished diamond-shaped 

 space, surrounded by grayish punctures. The wing covers 

 are marked with longitudinal rows of still larger, grayish 

 punctures. It seems to have been first described by Mr. 

 Walsh, in The Practical Entomologist for August and Septem- 

 ber, 18G7. It has done much injury in New York state, and 

 has already appeared in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Very 

 little is positively known of its habits. Mr. Walsh supposes 

 that in the larva state it lives in moist wood situated in places 

 where it is constantly washed by water. The specimens 

 which I exhibit, however, were brought to me by a gentleman 

 from Guilford, whose corn had been severely injured by them, 

 and who said the fields attacked were far from any water, but 

 a part of his own field had been dressed with chip manure in 

 which the larvae might have lived if they really feed upon de- 

 caying wood. 



It is quite likely, however, that Mr. Walsh was mistaken 

 in regard to its habits, for there is another species of the same 

 genus which is said to have a very different habit in tlie larva 

 state, although the perfect insect attacks corn in much the 

 same way. Of this last species. Prof. Glover* says that it is 

 very destructive to corn in many parts of the South and 

 Southwest, and in regard to its habits, quotes the following 

 statement of Senator Evans. " The perfect insect eats into 

 the stalk of the corn, either below or just at the surface of the 

 ground, where it deposits its egg. After changing into a 

 grub, the insect remains in the stalk, devouring the substance, 

 until it transforms into the pupa. state, which occurs in the 

 same cavity in the stalk occupied by the grub. It makes its 

 appearance in tlie following spring in the perfect state, again 

 to deposit its eggs at the foot of the young corn plants. These 

 insects destroy the main stem, or shoots, thus causing suckers 

 to spring up, which usually produce no grain, or, if any, of 

 very inferior quality to that of the general yield. Swamp 

 land or low grounds are the places most generally attacked." 



* Agricultural Report of the XJ. S. Patent Office for 1854, p. 67. 



