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The Life History of the European Com Borer. — At the first conference in 

 Albany, Dr. E. P. Felt, N. Y. State Entomologist, gave an interesting account of 

 the life history of the insect and a summary of the recent work about Schenectady 

 in relation to the extermination of the pest, while at the second conference at the 

 State House, Boston, Commissioner W. Wheeler of Mass. and Prof. D. J. Caf- 

 fey, scientific assistant in charge of the Investigations, discussed the facts that had 

 been revealed in the two years' work with the European Corn Borer in Massachu- 

 setts, and the plans for eradication. 



The insect winters over as a nearly full-grown caterpillar in corn stalks and 

 some of the large weeds. About the middle of May it pupates and emerges as a 

 moth which lays a large number of eggs in shingled batches on the underside of 

 leaves. The caterpillars from these eggs feed upon early corn and weeds. About 

 the last of July these caterpillars pupate, and early in August another generation 

 of moths appears. These lay their eggs principally on corn and the caterpillars do 

 a large amount of damage, feeding on the stalks and ears of corn. These cater- 

 pillars or borers pass the winter in corn-stalks and large garden weeds. 



The full grown caterpillar or borer is about an inch long. The head is black 

 and the upper surface of the body brown. Each division bears a row of small 

 dark-brown spots, while several pink lines run lengthwise of the body. (Fig.) 



The pupa is cone-shaped, brown and about half an inch long. 



The moth is pale yellow, expanding a little over an inch ; the female is more 

 robust than the male, and has the markings on the wings slightly different. 



As the females of the first brood of moths lay on an average about 350 eggs 

 each, and those of the second brood about 550, it is quite possible for an over- 

 wintering caterpillar in an old corn stalk or weed to be responsible for 100,000 

 borers up to the first of September. 



Method of attacks by the European Com Borer. — The members of the 

 Conference had an opportunity of studying at close range the work of the pest, 

 both in the Scotia district about Schenectady N. Y., and in the District to the 

 north of Boston in the towns of Arlington, Medford, Melrose, Saugus and Mai- 

 den, where much damage had been done to sweet and dwarf varieties of corn. 

 Autos were provided so that many of the infested fields were inspected. 



The Corn Borer tunnels through all parts of the corn plant except the fibrous 

 roots. It causes most serious damage, however, by its work in the stalks and ears, 

 which it partially or totally destroys. Generally it enters the stalk near the base of 

 the tassel and at first tunnels upward. This damage so weakens the tassel that it 

 breaks over before it matures. These broken tassels, with extensions of sawdust- 

 like m.aterial at the breaks, are the most conspicous signs of infestation in a field. 



Tunnels are also made downward in the stalk, and when several borers are 

 present, as is frequently the case, the stalk is reduced to a mere shell. The ears 

 of corn are also attacked, and the inspectors have found as many as 15 fullgrown 

 borers feeding upon and within a single ear. 



