INJURIOUS TO MELONS, CUCUMBERS, SQUASH, ETC. 397 



The Pickle Worm * 



The pickle worm is so called because it was first noted as 

 injuring cucumbers grown for pickling, but in the Gulf States, 

 where it is most injurious it is more commonly a pest of melons, 

 and, with the following species, with which it is often confused, 

 is often known as the " melon worm." Injury in the Middle 

 States occurs only periodically, though it has been noted in 

 Illinois and southern Michigan, but in the Gulf States it is always 

 a serious pest of all the cucurbs, destroying the blossoms, mining 

 the stems, and boring into the ripening fruit. 



The moth has a wing expanse of about 1 inches, is yellowish- 

 brown with a purplish iridescence, and is readily recognized by 

 an irregular yellowish transparent spot on the middle of the 

 fore-wings, and the basal half of the hind-wings of the same color. 

 The abdomen terminates in a conspicuous' brush of large blackish 

 scales. 



Life History. The moths emerge in late spring and deposit 

 the eggs either singly or in clusters of 3 to 8 on the flowers, buds, 

 or tender terminals. The yellowish-white egg is about one- 

 thirtieth inch long, and rather elliptical. The first larva? 

 are to be found in Georgia by the middle of June. The young 

 larvae which hatch from eggs laid on the terminals bore into 

 stems and leaves and later often tunnel out the vines like the 

 squash-vine borer. Those from eggs laid on the blossoms usu- 

 ally feed in the blossoms, and a half-dozen may often be 

 found feeding in single squash blossoms, for which they seem 

 to have a decided preference. As they grow older the larva? 

 wander from one plant to another, often boring into several 

 fruits. The older larva? bore into the fruit, the excrement 

 being pushed out from the orifice and later accumulating in 

 the cavity within. A single larva boring into the rind will do 

 sufficient injury to start decay and ruin the fruit, and often a 



* Diaphania nitidalis Cramer. Family Pyraustidce. See A. L. Quaintance, 

 Bulletin 54, Geo. Agr. Exp. Sta., R. I. Smith, Bulletin 214, N. C. Agr, 

 Exp. Sta. 



