COTTON INSECTS. 



[The edition of the Report upon Cotton Insects published by this de- 

 partmf'P.t being too small to supply the doraand, we give here a rdsume 

 of the more important chapters.] 



THE COTTOK-WOEM. 



{Aletia argillacea Hlibner.) 

 Order LEPlDorxERA; family l^ToOTUIDAE. 



NO^IENCLATUKB. 



In i^lancing' over the literature on the insect under consideration we 

 find that it is known by various popular titles. The " Chenille" is a 

 name which still holds in many parts of the South. It was originally 

 introduced by thie French planters emigrating from Martinique and 

 other French West Indies to Georgia in, 1801-1802, and also by the 

 French settlers of Louisiana. Although literally signifying nothing but 

 caterpillar, it has come to be applied to this insect distinctively, as the 

 caterpillar par excellence. The "army- worm" is a title which has often 

 been applied to this insect, but is one which should be avoided on ac- 

 count of the danger of confounding it with the army-worm of the North. 



In order to avoid this danger many have called it the "cotton army- 

 worm." Mr. Glover has given his sanction to this name in the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture reports. It has also been called by many writers 

 " the cottou-cateri>illar," a name sufficiently distinctive. By many it is 

 known by the simple term "the caterpillar" in contradistinction to "the 

 worm" as commonly applied to tke boll-worm. By others, and these 

 are by far the majority, it is termed "the cotton-worm." This latter 

 name we have adopted as being the shortest, simplest, and best adapted 

 for a popular name. The moth has generally been called the "cotton- 

 fly" or "cotton-moth" or ''cotton- worm-moth)' 



As to the scientific name of this insect there is some doubt. The 

 species was described in 1827 by Thomas Say as Eoctua xyliyia; and it 

 was long known under that name. In 1874 Mr. A. E. Grote discovered 

 that an insect, which he believes to be our cotton-worm-moth, was fig- 

 ured and described by Hilbner in 1822 under the name of Aktia argillacea. 

 The latter naaie is the one which is now in general use. 



PAST HISTORY. 



The cotton- worm is probably indigenous to South America, and is an 

 introduced insect in the United States. The first appearance of it in 

 this country now on record vvas in 1793. This was followed by an ex- 

 tremely disastrous invasion in 1804. From 1804 to the present day there 

 has never been a season in which the cotton-worm has not done more 

 or less damage in some part of the cotton States. Among the years in 

 which this insect has been most destructive were 1804, 1814, 1825, 1844, 

 1846, 1300, 18C7, 1868, 1872, 1873, and 1876. 



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