October, '22] hayes: sorghum insects 351 



they were injuring sorghums. He likewise described the larval and 

 pupal stages. The nature of the damage done in Kansas is similar to 

 that described by Riley which is here quoted. 



"The sorghum heads sent were, for the most part, so interwoven with 

 silk as to form a compact mass, in which was profusely mixed the whitish 

 excrement of the larva. Running through the mass were niimerous 

 delicate tubes, forming channels, through which the larvae passed from 

 one seed to another unexposed to the attacks of parasites. The kernels 

 of the grain were sometimes entirely eaten, but in general were only 

 partly destroyed, the germ, however, seeming to be the portion of the 

 seed preferred, as in almost every instance it was eaten. The larvae 

 were very active when disturbed, and left the heads when ready to 

 transform, spinning small silken cocoons upon the surface of the ground 

 or in some sheltered place. The cocoons were about 7 mm. (a little 

 more than a quarter of an inch) in length, somewhat thickest at the 

 anterior end, and with a small opening at the posterior end, through 

 which the last larval skin was partially pushed. They were made out of 

 delicate, closely spun white silk, firmly fastened to the object selected 

 by the larva for attachment, and were covered with particles of wood, 

 bark, or excrement, so that they were readily recognized. The moths 

 issued in late July or early August, a week or more after spinning 

 of the cocoons." 



At the time of writing — Dec. 18, 1921 — the specimens are in the larval 

 stage and it is possible that the species hibernates in this stage in Kansas. 

 There is a slight possibility of two or more broods in Kansas and that 

 some undetermined food plant offers sustenance to the species until the 

 sorghum heads appear in the fields. The Yearbook of the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture for 1906 (p. 510) reports the species, attacking the 

 heads of timothy at Arlington, Va. 



It was stated by southern Kansas farmers that the larvae "make sores 

 or a kind of breaking out on the skin wherever they happen to crawl on 

 a person." This rash produced a more or less severe itching and several 

 farmers were reported unable to harvest sorghum crops because of poi- 

 soning received by coming in contact with the worm when attempting 

 to harvest their crop. 



Corn Leaf Aphis. — McColloch (1921. p. 91) reported injury to 

 the 1919 crop of sorghums in Kansas by yl^/m maidis Fitch. Certain 

 fields in the western part of the state were ruined by the species which had 

 caused, in the heavily infested heads, badly shriveled grain. The 

 question arose as to the effect of this injury on the germinative powers 



