THE ROUGH-HEADED CORN STALK-BEETLE' IN 

 THE SOUTHERN STATES AND ITS CONTROL. 



Pago. 



Description of beetle 3 



Distribution 3 



Economic importance 4 



Planner of injury 4 



Seasonal historj' 



Conditions favorable to outl)reaks 

 Control measures 



rage. 



WITHIN recent years an increasing number of reports of serioiis 

 damage to the corn crop by a robust black beetle have been 

 received from most of the Southern States. A noteworthy outbreak 

 occurred during the early summer of 1914: in thf, 

 tidewater section of Virginia. 



As very little was known regarding the natural 

 history of this pest, this bulletin has been designed 

 to supply this information. By following the con- 

 trol measures recommended herein it is hoped that 

 the ravages of this pest may be largely overcome in 

 the future. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE BEETLE. 



Fig. 1.— Rough- 

 headed corn 

 stalk-beetle: 

 Adult. Some- 

 Avhat enlarged. 



The beetle (fig. 1) varies somewhat in size, but 

 usually measures about one-half inch in length. It 

 is a stout, hard-shelled creature, jet black in color. The head aud 

 fore part of the body (thorax) appear almost smooth, but the head 

 is in reality finely roughened, and the thorax is covered with numer- 

 ous minute dots or impressions. The hind body (abdomen) is 

 covered by a pair of hard wing cases which, like the thorax, bear 

 numerous minutely impressed dots or dents and in addition a num- 

 ber of faintly impressed longitudinal lines. The legs are very strong 

 and are provided with a number of coarse si)ines. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The distribution of the beetle, as recorded by the Bureau of En- 

 tomology, is shown on the accompanying map (fig. '2). Tlie insect 

 is confined entirely to the Southern States. No records of its occur- 

 rence are known north of Virginia, Kentucky, and Kansas. In 



1 (TJgi/rm) Euctheola nujicrps Lee; order Coleoptera, family Scarabaeidao. 

 4210°— 17— Bull. 875 3 



