April, '10] ROSEXFELD: LOUISIANA INSECTS 213 



Neither the cotton caterpillar, Alabama argillacea Hiibn., nor 

 the square-borer, TJranotes melinus Hiibn., have made their pres- 

 ence particularly felt during the past two years, but the past spring 

 the cotton aphis, Aphis gossypii Glov., was very abundant, and 

 badly injured the stand of cotton in many cases. This was undoubt- 

 edly due to the cold April. The cotton aphis is always a serious pest 

 in cold, wet springs. 



The cowpea pod-weevil, Chalcodermus (eneus Boh., seems to be 

 decidedly on the increase, judging from the large number of reports 

 and specimens we have received during the past two springs. Early 

 in the season, while the pod-weevils are waiting for cowpeas, they 

 heavily infest the cotton, and often materially injure the stands by 

 puncturing the leaf and terminal stems of the plants. 



The garden web-worm, Loxostege similalis Guen., the differential 

 locust, Melanoplus clifferentialis Thos., and the leaf-footed plant bug, 

 Leptoglossus phyllopus Linn., have caused little trouble. 



Sugar Cane Insects 



The two principal cane insects, the cane borer, Diafrcea saccharalis 

 Fab., and the "pou-a-poussiere," Fseudococcus calceolarm Mask., 

 have been about normally abundant, although we have found that the 

 infested territory' is larger than we knew of in 1907, in the case of 

 both insects. The Bureau of Entomology has taken up a study of 

 sugar cane and rice insects, in cooperation with the Louisiana State 

 Crop Pest Conmiission, also a study of the Argentine ant, which is 

 supposed to be the principal means of transportation of the "pou- 

 a-poussiere. ' ' 



Insects Injurious to Cereal and Forage Crops 



None of our principal corn insects, the boll-worm, the cane borer, 

 or the Southern corn root-worm, Diabrotica duodecimpmictata Oliv., 

 have been more than usually abundant on com. 



The rice maggot, Lissorhoptrus simplex, Say, did a great deal 

 of damage the past spring. Thousands of specimens were sent into 

 the Commission, which had flown to lights. 



The sugar-cane beetle, Ligyrus rugiceps Lee, was not reported 

 as unduly numerous, but the author noticed vast numbers of them at 

 Crowley, La., in the heart of the rice-belt, attracted to the lights of 

 the city. Thousands of them were lying upon the walks under each 

 electric light, and they were flying into houses and stores in great 

 abundance. 



