REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 1918 63 
in 1918, according to reports and specimens received May 14th 
from J. F. Eastman, county agricultural agent. He states that the 
caterpillars were ‘‘ found in large numbers in old pastures feeding at 
the roots of grasses. The areas of the pastures were to a large extent 
devastated owing to the ravages of these insects.’’ The caterpillars 
concerned in this last injury were determined by G. G. Ainslie as 
Crambus vulgivagellus Clem. With these species there 
were also several specimens of the bronze-colored cut worm, 
Nephelodes violans Guen., and also of the greasy cut 
worm, Agrotis ypsilon Rott. These latter two were 
comparatively few, however. It is interesting to note that Mr 
Eastman reported crows, blackbirds, sparrows and other birds having 
fed so effectively upon the pest that none could be found some 3 
weeks later, namely, June 11th. 
A frequent crop rotation is presumably of considerable value in 
preventing injury by grass webworms. In localities where webworms 
are frequently numerous, it is advisable to keep corn and other sus- 
ceptible crops some distance from grass lands and to avoid planting 
upon recently turned sod. Early fall plowing for badly infested 
land, mid-August or early September, would very likely result in 
the destruction of many of the young caterpillars and do much to 
prevent the possibility of injury if corn were planted the next season. 
If this be impractical, spring plowing should be delayed as late as 
possible so as to give the caterpillars a chance nearly to complete 
feeding before the sod is turned under. Replanted corn or late 
planted corn is very likely to escape serious damage. 
Lined corn borer (Hadena fractilinea Grote). Yellow- 
ish, dull-brown striped, rather slender caterpillars, nearly an inch 
long, may work in early June in the heart of young corn, tunneling 
the stalks and giving evidence of their presence by the irregular 
holes near the base of the leaves and wilting of the earlier injured 
plants. The work of this pest is very similar to that of the stalk 
borer though the striking blotchy markings of the latter make it 
very easy to distinguish between the two. The caterpillar of the 
lined stalk borer presents a superficial resemblance, size and all, 
to the recently introduced European corn borer though it can be 
easily distinguished therefrom by the practical absence of chitinized 
or horny tubercles and the fact that usually it works only in young 
corn, generally in early June. 
The lined corn borer appears to be a comparatively rare pest in 
New York State or else its work is overlooked or commonly attributed 
to some other insect. It was first recognized in the State in 1913 
