124 FIRST ANNUAL REPOllT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Its Occurrence in New York. 



Subsequent to the announcement of the appearance of this insect at 

 South Bristol, Ontario county, information was received by me of its 

 injuries in other towns of the county, in Livingston county [Country 

 Gentleman of Nov. 24th), and in Albany and Schoharie counties. It 

 has probably been distributed over all of the southern and middle por- 

 tions of the State. Happening to mention to a friend in Albany the 

 interesting occurrence of this southern species in the State of New 

 York, he recalled the fact that some green corn which had been pur- 

 chased perhaps two weeks previously for his table was found unfit for 

 use from the gnawing of caterpillars contained within the husks. Be- 

 lieving them to be identical with examples of the corn-worm which I 

 was able to show him, he proposed to verify their identity. A severe 

 frost had cut off the green corn in the vicinity of Albany, and com- 

 paratively few lots of surplus stock could be found at this date 

 (Nov. 1st), at the vegetable stands and groceries, but in every one ex- 

 amined, the injuries were discovered in a large proportion of the cars : 

 in some of them dead caterpillars were lying within the husks (with 

 some still living), which iiad doubtless been killed by the frost. It 

 could not be learned that this attack upon corn in the neighborhood 

 of Albany had been previously noticed. It is strange that depreda- 

 tions so general and so extensive as were these, could exist and still fail 

 to arrest attention. 



The occurrence of this insect in injurious numbers in the State, for 

 the first time, the past season, is undoubtedly the result of the unusually 

 warm and dry summer and autumn months — conditions highly 

 favorable to the increase of many of our insect pests, and to the exten- 

 sion northwardly of southern forms. It had been numbered among 

 New York species, and examples of the moth have been taken by col- 

 lectors, although very rarely, in the extreme southern part of the State 

 — on Long Island and elsewhere, but I do not know of its having 

 been seen abroad, so far north in the State as Albany. 



There need be no apprehension that the species will continue its in- 

 juries to corn in our State. Experience elsewhere has shown that its 

 northern extension is only exceptional, resulting from unusual con- 

 ditions. Very many of the later caterpillars were killed by the early 

 frosts, while those that had matured and entered the ground for 

 pupation, will not, to any great extent, be able to withstand the severe 

 cold of our northern winter. There may, therefore, be no survivors of 

 the recent invaders, and whether they are to reappear the coming 

 year in our corn-fields, may depend entirely upon the repetition of 

 last summer's heat and drought, and the attendant flight hither of 

 moths from the south. 



