266 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



FORMER INJURIES. 



TlriS species has not before been prominently treated of as a wide- 

 spread iujnrious insect, though it has done a certain amount of damage 

 in times past. In 1873, we observed it feeding in great numbers for 

 miles along the Feosho Valley, in Southeastern Kansas, skeletonizing 

 the leaves of Helianthus, Ambrosia, Amaranthus, beets, potatoes, and 

 other garden ])lants. 



In June and July, 1880, it again appeared in injurious numbeis in 

 parts of Kansas, and Prof. F. H. Snow wrote a short account of it for 

 the issue of the Lnwrence (Kansas) Daily Journal of July 28, 1880 (re- 

 printed in Psyche^ III, p. 127), in which he gave a short description of 

 the larva, and stated that it fed on sweet potato, alfalfa, beets, peas, 

 Pig-weed {Amarantus), and Purslane (Portiilaca). 



According to a correspondent of the Department in lieno County, 

 Kansas, it was extremely injurious in his locality in 1880 to sorghum, 

 coin, millet, and garden vegetables. 



After its occurrence in 1880, Prof. E. A. Popenoe,of the Kansas State 

 University, published an article in the Second Quarterly Keport for 

 1880 of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, which gives the best 

 published account of the insect up to that time, and in which the larva, 

 pupa, and imago are describetl with sufficient care to obviate further 

 detailed description here. The cremastral characters of the pupa (PI. 

 VI, Fig. 3, e) which we have indicated, are characteristic, and any fuller 

 description of the larva should be comjiarative, and especially with 

 other allied larvae like that of Boiys marculcnta, G. and E., which very 

 closely resembles it. 



June 27, 1881, we received two larvte of ranlalis from Mr.W. 0. Lang, 

 of Maiden, Mo., with the statement that the species did great damage 

 to Cotton, and the same month it was received from Lamar, Mo., as 

 damaging corn and garden crops. 



One of our correspondents, Mr. W. G. Eobinson, or Rosston, Cook 

 County, Texas, more observant than others, has noticed the same worm 

 for the last ten years in his county, where he states that it appears 

 yearly to a limited extent, feeding principally on the •' Kerless" weed 

 [Amarantus), but that 1885 was the first season in which he had known 

 it to do any damage to the cotton crop. 



LOCALITIES OF DAMAGE IN 1885. 



The first report of damage done by this insect the present year was 

 received June 22, from J. M. Altoffeu, of Independence, Montgomery 

 County, Kansas, and from that time until late in July we were in con- 

 stant receipt of letters concerning it. Specimens were received Ironi 

 the following localities : Texas: Cook, Erath, Denton and Hopkins Con ii 

 ties; A'rlansas: Crawford County: Missouri: Jasper and Vernon (Joun- 

 ties; Imlian Territory: Colbert and Econtuchka, Seminole Nation, ami 

 Vinita, Cherokee Nation 5 N'ehrasJca: Lancaster County ; Kansas: Cow- 

 ley, Montgomery, Cofiey, Labette, Cherokee, Crawford, and Neosho 

 Counties. Prof.F. H. Snow, in the report of the Kansas State Board 

 of Agriculture for the month ending June 30, 1885, states that no less 

 than thirty-five counties reported more or less damage from this insect. 

 Those reporting the heaviest damage were all situated in the south- 

 eastern quarter of the State, and were, excluding the seven already 

 mentioned, Allen, Bourbon, Chautauqua, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Har- 

 vey, McPherson, Eeno, Sedgwick, Sumner, Wilson, and Woodson, thir- 



