92 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 12 



Vice-President E. C. Cotton : If there is no further discussion, we 

 will take up, "The European Corn Borer Problem," by D. J. Caffery, 

 Melrose Highlands, Mass. 



THE EUROPEAN CORN BORER PROBLEM ^ 



By D. J. Caffrey, Scientific Assistant, Cereal and Forage Insect Investigation, Bureau 

 of Ento7nology, United States Department of Agriculture 



Introductory 



During the month of July, 1917, the presence of the European Corn 

 Borer (Pyrausta nuhilalis Hubn.) was discovered in the vicinity of 

 Boston, Massachusetts by Mr. S. C. Vinal of the Massachusetts Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station. A report of this discovery, and of the 

 preliminary investigation was published by Mr, Vinal in December, 

 1917 -. At that time the insect was found to be present in an area of 

 approximately 100 square miles immediately north and northeast of 

 the city of Boston and was causing severe damage to sweet corn and 

 other plants within that area. 



The towns located at the mouth of the Mystic River were more 

 generally infested than the others and from this it was inferred that 

 the pest first became established in that vicinity. Considerable quan- 

 tities of raw hemp are annually imported from Europe for use in the 

 cordage factories located along the Mystic River. As hemp is one of 

 the favorite food plants of the insect in Europe this may have been the 

 medium through which the European Corn Borer was introduced into 

 this country, although other plants may have acted as the carrier. 



The seriousness of the situation caused by the presence of this insect 

 and its potential menace to the corn crop of the entire country was 

 early realized. The problem therefore became one of national im- 

 portance and plans were made for a cooperative investigation of the 

 subject during the season of 1918 by the Massachusetts Agricultural 

 Experiment Station and the Bureau of Entomology, Division of Cereal 

 and Forage Insects. 



From the facts learned to date concerning the habits, food plants 

 and distribution of the insect it is believed that the European Corn 

 Borer is one of the most serious plant pests that has yet been introduced 

 into the United States. 



1 Published by permission of the Secretary of Agriculture. 



2 Vinal, S. C, Mass. Agri. Experiment Sta., Bull. 178. 



