290 



MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT, 



white, while the rest of the plant and other plants about it are perfectly 

 green. This is a very sure sign of the presence of this stalk-borer, or 

 at least of some of its near relatives. When the grass near a corn field 

 becomes thus injured, one can expect the first few rows of corn adjoin- 

 ing this infested grass field to become injured by these insects. 



Fig. 48. — The Stalk-Borer, Papaipema (Hydroccia) nitela; a. Adult Moth; &, 

 half grown larva; c, mature larva in burrow; e, pupa. All slightly enlarged. (From 

 Chittenden, U. S. Dept. Agrriculture.) 



The larvae of the stalk-borer, when full grown, is about one inch 

 in length, and varies in color from a very light brown to a purplish 

 brown, according to the age, the older ones being lighter. The body 

 is striped with five white bands, the two lateral ones being interrupted 

 or wanting on the first four abdominal segments. The head and anal 

 shield are reddish-yellow. The stripes, which are so prominent on the 

 larvae before they are full grown, become somewhat obscure as the 

 insects reach the full grown larval stage. A good idea of the general 

 appearance of these larvae when not full grown can be had b>' referring 

 to figure 48, b, and a full grown larvae in figure 48, c. 



When these larvae hatch from the eggs, which are deposited in the 

 grass fields or grassy places about the roads, fences and byways, they 

 eat a hole through the stem of the grass plant and make a burrow up 

 the center of the grass stem. The opening through which they enter soon 

 becomes stopped up with their droppings. The plant above the point of 

 entrance withers, dies and turns white, and can be readily distinguished 

 from the other parts of the plant or from other uninfested plants. After 



