REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



•United States Department of Agricultdke, 



Bureau of Entomology, 

 Waskinr/fo7i, D. 6'., September 7, 1920. 



Sir: I submit herewith u report of the work of the Bureau of 

 Entomology for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1920. 



L. O. Howard, 

 Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. 

 Hon. E. T. Meredith, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



CEREAL AND FORAGE CROP INSECT INVESTIGATIONS. 



The work of this section, continued under the direction of W. R. 

 Walton, has been very important. 



European corn borer. — During the year the aspect of the corn-borer 

 problem has altered greatly. When the last annual report was pre- 

 pared the area of infestation in eastern Massachusetts was known 

 to be about 1.000 scjuare miles, but as the season progressed the 

 larger force of scouts and more thorough work, made possible by 

 the appropriation of $250,000, which became available July 24, 1919, 

 resulted in the discovery of the insect throughout the Cape Cod 

 peninsula. It was discovered also in outlying districts in Massa- 

 chusetts and Xew Hampshire, where it was not previously known 

 to occur. The infested area on the Atlantic coast at the end of the 

 growing season of 1919 was about 2,000 square miles, and this has 

 been still further increased during the last few weeks by the added 

 area of several towns in Massachusetts contiguous to the old area.- 

 In the meantime the infestation in eastern New York has been found 

 to include at least 1.000 square miles of territory in the counties of 

 Fulton, Saratoga, Montgomery, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Rensse- 

 laer. Djiring the month of September, 1919, a new area was dis- 

 covered at the extreme western end of Xew York Stati', bordering 

 <m Lake Erie. Before the close of the season this infestation was 

 found to include at lea.st 500 square miles of territory. At about the 

 same time a small infestation was located in Erie County. Pa. Both 

 of the newly located infestations were in localities Avhere broom fac- 

 tories existed, and which were known to liave used imported broom 

 corn. All the evidence so far accumulated indicates that these latter 

 infestations were of .several years' standing. The arrival in New 

 York Harbor during the last few months of two shi})ments of broom 

 corn from Italy which wei-e found to bo infested witli both larva^ 

 and pupa» of the pest indicates almost conclusively the manner in 

 ■s^hich the insect was originally introduced from Europe. Investi- 

 gitions made by the writer in Italy during June, 1920, indicated 



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