162 INSECT PESTS OF FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD 



One of the species most injurious to corn is S. ochreus Lee. 

 The life history is much the same as that of S. parvulus, though 

 eggs have been found as late as July 30th. The natural food-plant 

 of this species, however, is the common club-rush (Scirpus jiuvia- 

 tilis), the roots of which consist of bulbs connected by smaller 

 slender roots. The eggs are deposited in or about the roots of this 

 rush, never having been found on corn. The bulbs of the rush are 

 very hard and oftentimes as large as hens' eggs. In them the 

 larvae burrow, becoming full grown and transforming to pupae, 

 from which the adult beetles appear in August and September. 

 When the rush becomes too hard for the beetles they often attack 

 a common reed (Phragmites communis) , piercing and splitting 

 lengthwise the unfolded terminal leaves, and eating out the suc- 

 culent portions within. The injury to corn is done by the beetles 

 while the corn is still young, feeding upon it in the same manner 

 as do the other species. " Standing with the head downward and 

 the feet embracing the lower part of the stalk," says Dr. Forbes, 

 "they slowly sink the beak into the plant, using the jaws to make 

 the necessary perforation. By moving forward and backward 

 and twisting to the right and left, the beetle will often hollow out a 

 cavity beneath the surface much larger than the superficial injury 

 will indicate." As the lower part of the stalk becomes hardened, 

 they leave it for the terminal portion, and when the ears commence 

 to form they often penetrate the husk and gouge out the soft cob. 

 Sometimes the injury thus inflicted is but slight, merely resulting 

 in a puncturing of the leaves when they unfold, these holes being 

 in a series across the leaf resulting from a single puncture when the 

 leaf was folded, and looking much like the work of the corn-root 

 web worm; but when several beetles attack a young plant, they 

 will either kill it outright or so deform the foliage and stalk that 

 no ear will mature. 



Several other species have also been known to do more or less 

 injury to corn, viz., S. scoparius, placidus, cariosus, sculptilis, 

 and pertinax, but so far as known their habits and injuries are 

 much the same as of those already described. 



Means of Control. The control of these pests is rather a diffi- 

 cult task. S. ochreus, as in fact are all of the species, is most 

 injurious on recently cleared swamp-lands, and usually disappears 

 as fast as these lands are drained and cultivated. Planting flax, 

 potatoes, or some crop not attacked by these insects for the first 



