436 



THE EARMEKS HANDBOOK. 



entrance or exit. This damage permits the entrance of moisture and 

 growth of mould. It also attacks the silks and tassels. Odd Ear-worms 

 may be found in the maize crop as late as the commencement of June. 



The eg^s are frequently to be noted as minute round whitish bodies, less 



than the size of a pin head, attached to the 

 silks, or scattered on the leaves or the sheath 

 of the cob. From two or three up to a 

 dozen or more may be seen on the silks of 

 a single cob. These eggs hatch in a few 

 days, and the young caterpillars feed on 

 the silks, and as they grow older burrow 

 down through the silks to the ear, or eat 

 out a circular opening through the corn husk 

 direct to the ear. After some fourteen days 

 or more the grubs crawl out of the cob 

 and bury themselves in the soil, where they 

 change to the brown quiescent pupal stage. 

 About foureen days later the adult moth 

 emerges, pushes its way to the surface. 

 It seems probable that at least three 

 or four broods occur, but they overlap ; 

 the pest may be found in all stages of 

 caterpillar and adult growth on the same 



Tip of cob showing an Ear-worm J a 



in situ. J' 



Yellow Maize (or Peach) Moth (Dichocrocis punctiferalis Gn.). 



The body and wings of this moth are bright yellow in colour, and dotted with 

 brown, giving a definite speckled appearance 

 to the insect. In maize the grubs are found 

 infesting the cobs mainly, but will also bore 

 in the stems. When infesting cobs they 

 usually line the bore with silk, and this silken 

 tube may extend as a pipe up through the 

 silk and tip of the sheath to open ex- 

 ternally. The core, the grains themselves, 

 and the sheath and silk are eaten and 

 damaged by this pest, which however is not 

 as prevalent nor as serious a pest as the 

 Maize Ear-worm. 



The larva is narrower than that of cut- 

 worms, and in colour is palest buff or slaty- 

 white, with pale brown spots marking the 

 position of scattered, fine, indistinct hairs. 

 The head and dorsal surface of segment 

 behind head are brown in colour. The 

 full-grown larva is just under an inch in 

 length. 



The pupa or chrysalis is relatively long and narrow and of dark chocolate 

 brown colour, and not so shiny as the Ear-moth or Cutworm pupa. 



Tip of cob showing work of Yellow. 

 Maize Moth lava with pupa in situ 



