17 



INSECTS WHICH INJURE THE STALK. 



A number of insects are frequently found boring into or otherwise 

 injuring the stalks, but we know of no case in which the injury has 

 been serious. 



The stalk borer {Papaipema nitela Guen.) (fig. 16). — This insect, 

 which is quite different from other common borers, being black, with 

 white stripes in its early stages, has been noticed boring into the stems 

 several inches above the ground and causing the plants to wilt. It 

 commonly feeds in various weeds, most commonly in the so-called 

 "blood weed." 



The small jet-black beetles of Amphicerus fortis Lee, nearly related 

 to the apple twig-borer, are often found in considerable numbers in the 

 old cotton stalks in the spring, but have never been noted as injuring 

 the growing plants. 



The cotton-stalk borer. — One of the long-horn beetles. Ataxia crypta 

 Say, whose larvffi commonly bore in the stalks of the cocklebur, some- 

 times bores into cotton stalks otherwise injured, but is not known to 

 injure healthy plants. 



The snowy tree cricket {(Ecantlius niveus DeG.).^ — Mention should 

 be made of the eggs of this insect, which are deposited in the stalks of 

 cotton and various common weeds in the fall, since they have been 

 frequently thought to be eggs of the boll weevil. These eggs are laid 

 in a long row, leaving a long scar, composed of numerous punctures 

 on the surface. The}^ are deposited in the fall after the cotton is 

 about grow^n and do no harm, so far as we are aware. The young 

 which hatch from them the following spring, as well as the adults, 

 feed very largely upon plant-lice, and are therefore more beneficial 

 than injurious. 



INSECTS WHICH INJURE THE SQUARES AND BOLLS. 



The cotton square-borer {Uranotes melinus Hbn.). — During late May 

 and in June cotton squares are often bored into by. a small green cater- 

 pillar which many planters consider a stage of the bollworm and 

 others have called the "sharpshooter." Injury from this cause is 

 often quite serious for a short time on a small area, as we have seen 

 10 per cent of the stalks entirely denuded of squares in small fields 

 where this insect is abundant. The caterpillars hollow out the squares 

 in the same manner as does the bollworm, often destroying all of those 

 on a plant knee high and even boring into the stalk. They are bright 

 green, oval, decidedly flattened, covered with short hairs which give 

 them a velvety appearance, and with the head retracted under the 

 front of the body, being quite unlike any stage of the bollworm. 

 They are the larvae of a dainty little butterfly (shown slightly enlarged 



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