95 



rcpoilcd .irtci- .hiiic. We arc iiironncd that in some l()faliti<'s this 

 iiisct't has l)(M'M iiijurioiis lor sonic years, wiiih' elsewhere tliis seems 

 to have l)een tlie lirst season in wliich it lias been notieetl. It is a 

 coiiimon pest of cow peas and other Ici^umes. 



The white-lined morning" sphinx {Dcilepltila lineafa Fab.) always 

 docs more or less daina}j:e to younj? cotton in weedy fields. This year 

 these lar\ a' appeai'ed in extraordinary nnmbers near San Antonio and 

 destroyed not only cotton but all sorts of garden truck. 



Tlic garden w ('l)woiMii {Loxosfege sunilalis Gueu.) did sei'ious injuiy 

 to youny; cotton in southwest and nortli Texas and Oklalioiiia, caus- 

 ing replant ing in nian^' instances. The common name *' careless worm" 

 used In I he planters is peculiarly applicable to this pest, as it increases 

 and becomes injurious only where the careU'ss weeds (. I ///rn'a///////.s 

 spp*.) ui"e allowed to gi'ow, and can easily be controlled by spraying or 

 dusting. 



In southwest Texas the lai-ge lubber grasshopper {linicliiijK phis 

 lUiujuiis) usually desti-oys a considerable amount of cotton. The hop- 

 pers occur in large nnmbers and go through a held, cutting off all the 

 cotton in their path. 



Likewise Lucltnosh rna hDireoUila Hay often occurs in large swarms 

 and cuts olf the young plants on considerable ai'cas. 



PECAN INSECTS. 



The growing of [lecans is becoming a very i)i-of1table industry in 

 Texas, though its development has only commenced. 



The worst pest yet brought to my attention is the pecan husk w(»rm 

 {Acrohdsis ciiri/d (irote). The lai'va' bore into the yctung pecans, 

 liollowing them out and causing them to di"op to the ground. Later 

 they I'iddlc the husk and channel the surface of the nut. This spe- 

 cies occuis on pecans where they grow in Texas, and, according to 

 Doctor Dyar, in Illinois, .Massachusetts, and New York. It is i-ei)orted 

 to .sometimes almost totall\' <lestroy the crop in localities and to do 

 serious injur}' generally in west central Texas, the chief i)ecan section. 

 I'sually injury is most between May 20 and .lune !<•. This year the 

 pest <li<l eompaialively little damage and no moths emerged until 

 July!*. This was lai"gelydu<' to hymenopterous parasites. No means 

 of pi'act ical contiol have yet been ascertained. 



JVii/lloxera sp. has been sent me as injurious to pecan foliage near 

 (ialveslon, and I lind it common on the cai.ijius at the college. 



The fall wcbworm is fre(|Uent ly iiijurious to jiecan trees and this 

 .season did much damage to fiiiit trees in south Texas. .\ similar 

 webworm, but of uniloiin bi-ow ii cohu-, which we have not detei-- 

 mined, but either anothei- si)ecies of Il.\ i)hantria or a variety of the 

 above, seems to be i)eculiaily a pecan insect. 



