-290 



.lorRXAL OV AfiK'iri 1/1 IKK OF P. W. 



corn ear wonn. This worm couttucs its Mttenlion rhietiy to the eavis 



of the corn. 



The yellowish-gray moth lays its eggs usually oii the silks of the 

 ears aiid tlie young caterpillars on hatching, feed for a short while 

 on the silks, then crawl into the ears wliere they stay and feed until 

 full giown. They then eat a small hole in the side of the ear, and 

 dro]) 1o tlie soil to pui)ate. later emerging as adult moths. When 

 the corn is yoirng the eggs are laid on the leaves, and the larva^ de- 

 Telop in the growing bud. 



Conlntl. — After the caterpillars have entered the ear it is- impos- 

 sible to reacli them with poisons, so it is necessary to kill them be- 

 fore they have made their way within. This may be done by dust- 

 ing the silks with the poi- 

 son dust reconnnended for 

 the preceding species. 



^ ,,., ^''■•'y,--^/J.W'. 





$ 



Cf 



Vu 



44. — Tbo Moth iStalk-liorcM' ( Dial ran 

 siic( liifiiilis) . Mdth Mild l;ii-\n. 



TIIK MODI STALK-BOKEK 



( DialrriMi sacch aralis). 



This dcsti'uctive insect 

 (Fig. 44), alth.ough re- 

 garded chiefly as a pest ol" 

 sugai- cane, is very fond 

 of corn and causes great 

 damage to this croj) by its 

 feeding activities. 



T h e i n conspicuous 

 moth, which varies in eoloi' 

 from •■ilmost white to a 

 light, yellowish-brown, de- 

 posits batclies of small, tint, white eggs on the leaves. These hatch 

 in a few days and the young larvse oi' caterpillars penetrate the stalk 

 and tunnel th-ough the pith, oftentimes girdling the stalk so that 

 the plant slirivcls up and dies, or so weakening it that it is snapped 

 otf by the wind. The cat<M'|)illar does not confine itself to one tunnel, 

 but often leaves the lirst one it has made to stai't jinother elsewhere. 



The fuU-gi'own eatei'pillar is nhonl an im-li long, and is a dirty 

 white in color marked with numerous dark spots. Tt |)Upates within 

 the buri'ow that i1 has formed, and later .Miierges as a moth through 

 a small hole in the stalk that it cuts before pupating. 



Control. — Little can be done to prevent damage l»y this insect, 

 except to collect the egg clusters and desti-oy the infested stalks. 



