Apr. 17, 1916 



Insect Injury to Cotton Seedlings 



135 



Here it is seen that 98 per cent of the 7,300 seedHngs examined had 

 been injured by some of the various agencies operating prior to that 

 time. High as they are, these figures are representative of average condi- 

 tions in the fields near Tallulah. 



ACTIVE PERIOD OF LARV/E 



On April 14 continuous examinations of cotton seedlings were made 

 from 8 a. m. until noon and from i to 5 p. m. on two plantations 

 near Tallulah. The day's records of worm collections were divided into 

 hourly periods and in this manner the active time of the various larvae 

 was noted. The results of these studies are shown in Table IV. From 

 this it is seen that the tussock larvae were much the more abundant 

 throughout the day and there seemed to be no time at which they were 

 especially abundant on the plants. The same seems to be true of the 

 other larvae. 



Table IV. — Records of field examinations for larvce by hourly periods on two plantations 



near Tallulah, La. 



INJURY TO TERMINAL BUDS 



The greater part of the feeding of the insects just mentioned is confined 

 to the leaves. However, a considerable number of plants were found 

 with the terminal buds either partially or completely destroyed. Plate 

 XVI, figure I, shows the usual location of this injury. This seedUng was 

 found in the field with a lepidopterous larva embedded at the base of 

 the bud (a). The small cavity where the larva was feeding is shown in 

 the photograph. From this the injury progresses until often all the buds 

 and small leaves above point a are eaten out. 



