THE CORN BILL-BUGS IN ILLINOIS/'^ 



The corn " bill-bug-s " are snout-beetles of various size and 

 color, but averaging- rather large, the majority of them dull black, 

 with the surface much marked with small pits and narrow grooves. 

 In form they are somewhat regularly oval, with thick bodies, round- 

 ed above and beneath, and with rather long " snouts " or " beaks " 

 of medium strength, bent downward from the front of the head. 

 They injure and often kill young corn in spring by thrusting the 

 beak into the stem of the plant near its base and eating out the in- 

 ner tissue beneath the point of puncture. Their presence in the 

 field is very soon made manifest by the appearance of circular or 

 oblong holes running in rows across the blade of the leaf, each row 

 resulting from a single thrust of the beak when the leaves were 

 closely rolled together in the young plant. The injury done varies 

 from insignificance up to complete destruction of practically every 

 plant in several acres of corn and for two or three successive plant- 

 ings. 



In the Sixteenth Report of this office, for the years 1886-88 

 ( but published in 1890 ), is an article on these insects summarizing 

 briefly the results of observations then the most recent and the 

 contents of previously published articles on the subject, but propos- 

 ing no preventive or remedial measure except a single one for the 

 prevention of injuries to corn by the clay-colored bill-bug, Sphenoph- 

 or/fs oc/if'eus, on newly drained and freshly broken swampy fields. 

 This preventive measure consists merely in planting the ground 

 broken up from the swamp grasses to some other crop than corn 

 for the first year, flax being especially suggested. 



For the ordinary injuries to corn on old ground I had at that 

 time no definite measure to propose, but a fuller knowledge of the 

 life histories and habits of the bill-bugs and some observations 

 lately made in both recently subdued swamp lands and old upland 



*Thi& article was originally published in October, iqo2, as Bulletin No. 79 of 

 the State Agricultural Experiment Station. 



