14 MISCELLANEOLT8 COTTON INSECTS, 



Past Jdstory. — The first account of this insect was published by 

 Doctor Kiley /' who gives its past history, an account of its depredations, 

 its food phmts, and life history, and a partial description of the larva. 

 Doctor Chittenden has published notes upon the species,'' and Dr. 

 S. A, Forbes has also given an excellent account of the insect.' 



Reiiiedial iiieaxirreK. — Dusting- or spraying the affected crops with an 

 arsenical Avill, of course, (juickly check the depredations of the pest; 

 but as some delay is usually involved in such an operation over a large 

 ai"ea, considerable injury will have heeii done ]>efore it is completed. 

 Preventive measures are more important. Of these the destruction 

 of those native weeds upon which the larva feeds is of great impor- 

 tance, especially wh(>re land is left uncultivated. The tiiorough culti- 

 vation of the land in fall or winter wnll also pro])al)ly be of great 

 benefit, if the larva passes the winter in the soil, as setniis pro))able. 

 On this point, Mr. S. ,]. Berry man. of Montalba, a careful observer, 

 writes: 



I think the reason that I ain nut bothered by them is because I liave had all of my 

 land broken in the winter and harrowed it several times. The blackl>irds followed 

 jny plow all the time, and I think they got most of them. At least, 1 am not l)()th- 

 ered with the insects, and I hear no complaints from those who did tht^ same way. 



In the case of alfalfa a thorough cultivation in lat(^ fall or early 

 spring would doubtless l)e of value for the same reason. 



THE WHITE-LINED SPHINX. 



{]>fi/rj>liila /iiiiiit<i Fab. F\v:. Ti. ) 



The well-known and exceedingly varial)le larvii* of this sphinx moth 

 are common inhal)itants of the cotton field about the time the young- 

 plants are being- chopped. Usuall}^ their injury to the foliage of the 

 young plants is noticed by the hands, who can destroy most of the 

 caterpillars at this time. Occasionally, however, they become over- 

 abundant and swarm over all the vegetation much as does the army 

 worm, destroying every low-growing plant in their path. Such was 

 the case near San Antonio in 11)03, when garden crops and cotton 

 were seriously injured by immense numbers of these caterpillars. 



On May 30, 1903, caterpillars in almost all stages of growth were 

 connuon on cotton at College Station, and several were kept under 

 observation. The first was ready to pupate June 1, and three entered 

 the earth to pupate June 11. June 25 about twenty flies of Win.the- 

 jnia quadrijmstuhita Fab. emerged from these. Three moths emerged 

 on July 3, 4, and 14, respectively. The caterpillars were not subse- 



«1885: Rept. Comm. Agric. f. 1885, pp. 265-270. 



''1902: Bnl. 33, n. s., Div. Ent., U. S. Dept. Agric., pp. 4(>, 47; and 1903: Bnl. 43, 

 1. c, pp. 39-40, figs. 36 and 37. 



C1900: 21st Rept. State Ent. 111., pp. 108-109, tig. 33. 



