103 



Babiimas show the identity of the West Iiidiau borer, which we can not 

 but suppose is Guildiug's Dkiinva saccharic with the Louisiana cane 

 borer. 



Concerning- the South American species and those of Mauritius, 

 Java, and Queensland there is doubt, and it seems altogether likely 

 that in ditterent parts of the world we have several distinct species of 

 Crambidie uniting in the sugar-cane-boring habit, although those of 

 South America and Java may be identical with our own. 



ANOTHER FOOD PLANT. 



Mr. Pergande, of the Division of Entomology, discovered, June 25, 

 a small larva boring in the stalks of Gama grass or Sesame grass 

 (Tripmcum d act yh tides) at the southern end of the Long Bridge cross- 

 ing the Potomac River at Washington. Other larvae were found from 

 time to time, and full-grown specimens were found July 14. These 

 precisely resembled the larvie found in corn farther south in Virginia, 

 and August 13 the first moth issued, setting at rest any doubt as to 

 the identity of this species with the corn stalk-borer. The Gama grass 

 has a large stem and grows to a height of 6 or more feet, and its leaves 

 are almost as large as those of Indian corn, to which it is closely allied. 

 It grows wild in moist soils from Connecticut southwards, and has been 

 used for fodder. The borer in this food plant introduces a variation in 

 habit, and it feeds mainly in the upper joints, some larvae even having 

 been found by Mr. Pergande feeding upon the seed head. At my sug- 

 gestion he examined, on August lli, the corn fields adjoining this patch 

 of Gama grass, and found that, while the grass was quite extensively in- 

 fested, but one stalk of corn had been bored by this larva. 



We have then as the food i)lants of this insect the four closely related 

 species, Sorghum vulgare, Saccharum officinartim, Tripsacum dactyloides, 

 and Zea mays. 



Where the Gama grass grows in any quantity in the vicinity of corn- 

 fields it will, therefore, be very necessary to burn it over every winter, 

 an act of easy accomplishment and one which will juobably materially 

 reduce the numbers of the hibernated indi\iduals which would other- 

 wise fly out over the cornfields in spring. 



ADDITIONAL NOTE. 



Since this article was written a note by Mr. C. H. Tyler Townsend 

 was read before the Association of Economic Entomologists at Wash- 

 ington, August 17, in which he stated that he had found the larva of 

 the sugar-cane borer infesting corn in two localities in New Mexico, 

 and, in discussion, Mr. H. E. Weed stated that the same insect was 

 occasionally found in corn in Mississippi. It may also be mentioned 

 that Prof. H. A. Morgan has treated of the damage to sugar-cane in 

 Louisiana in Bulletin Xo. 9, Second Series of the Louisiana Experiment 

 Station. 



