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in close quarters. Other species feed either on very 

 minute animal organisms or on vegetable matter. The 

 larvae of species commonly used as bait range between 

 1/2 and 1-1/4 inches in length. Much harm can be done 

 to streams by bait seekers who drag large quantities 

 of aquatic vegetation onto the bank to collect these 

 larvae. 



European corn borer 



The Corn borer, a serious pest introduced from 

 Europe about 1910, is a brownish moth with a 1-inch 

 wingspread. The larva, which is used as fish bait, is 

 a typical wormlike caterpillar that attains a length 

 of 3/4 to 1 inch. Pale yellowish-white to flesh color, 

 it has an indistinct stripe down the middle of the back, 

 a row of small, round, brown dots on either side. 



Eggs are laid throughout the summer on the under 

 sides of growing corn leaves. A female may lay more 

 than 600 eggs in small groups. The eggs hatch in about 

 a week. Until half grown, the larvae feed between 

 leaves, under husks, in tassels, or elsewhere on the 

 exterior; then they burrow inside the stalk, the ear, 

 or the tnicker parts of the leaves. The larvae live 

 through the winter, generally embedded in the stalk 

 just above the ground. The cocoon is spun in the spring 

 and adults start emerging early in summer. 



In the Tri-State area there is but one generation 

 yearly, and corn is the predominant food. In the 

 eastern States there are two generations, and the borer 

 attacks a wide range of garden and farm crops, flowers, 

 and weeds. 



Corn-borer larvae can be collected from late fall 

 until early spring. They offer excellent bait for 

 winter bluegill fishing. 



Catalpa worm 



The catalpa worm is the larva of a sphinx or hawk 

 moth that is a serious pest of catalpa trees, which 

 form its only food. The larva or caterpillar attains 

 a length of 3 inches, is smooth, dark brown or black 

 above and dark green on the sides, and has a short, 

 sharp, thornlike horn at the tip of the abdomen. 



The white eggs are deposited on the under side of 

 catalpa leaves soon after these appear. As many as 

 1,000 may appear in a single mass. The eggs hatch in 

 about 2 weeks. The larvae feed until full grown, then 



