224 MANUAL OF VEGEr ABLE-GARDEN INSECTS 



to tliirty-fivc days. It is tlion a sleiulcr .UTiih, about 2 incli in 

 l(Mi,ii,tli, wliitish or yellowish in color with the IknkI and ccrNical 

 shield hrow iiish. When l'nll-_i;ro\vn, the lar\a Icaxes the j)lant 

 and constructs a small (>arthcn cell within which it transforms 

 to a small whitish puj)a, the beetles emer<>;ing in one to two 

 weeks. Throughout the greater ]){irt of the insect's range, 

 there are two generations amuially. In the extreme South 

 where the beetles are acti\'e during the entire year, an additional 

 generation may develoj). The larva^ of the second generation 

 are not so injurious to corn as those of the first but they some- 

 times injure the roots so that the ])lants are easily blown 

 over by storms and in some cases ripening is delayed and the 

 size and (juality of the crop reduced. 



In the soutlnvest, a, variety of the southern corn root -worm 

 has received the name of tcndUi Leconte. In this form the 

 spots on the wing-covers are greatly' reduc(>(l in size and the 

 posterior ones may be entirely lacking. 



Control. 



Injury to corn by this insect may be in large measure pre- 

 vented by planting late, after the beetles have dei)osited most 

 of their eggs. Corn planted the first of May in Alabama will 

 usually esca])e injury, l^'arthcr north the corresponding date 

 would be somewhat later. In the case of sweet corn when 

 it is desirable to ])lant the crop early, it is often ])ossible to get 

 a good stand in si)ite of the root-worms by ])lanting an excess 

 of seed. A rotation of crops has not pr()\'ed of nnich value in 

 ])re\enting injury because the beetles are good fliers and readily 

 find their way to corn fields for egg-laying. Since the injury 

 to corn is usually most severe on low wet land, tile drainage is 

 often the most ])ra('tical method of solving the ])r()blem. 



When attacking cucumbers, scjuashes and melons, the beetles 

 may be controlled by the measures suggested for the striped 

 cucumber beetle on })age 111. 



