86 REPOKT UPON COTTON INSECTS. 



The cotton-moth is not confined to a diet of nectar, as many fruit- 

 growers have learned to their cost. Frequently the fig crop is completely 

 destroyed in some sections of the cotton belt, as is also the August crop 

 of peaches. The moths have also been known to feed on apples, grapes, 

 melons, and the jujube. A remarkable instance of their feeding on 

 melons in Wisconsin was communicated to Professor Riley last year ; 

 we quote from a letter on file iu this department : 



RACINE, "VVis., XofeintcT 17, 1878. 



DEAR SIR : In a communication to the Scientific American you stated that the 

 Aletia argillacea bored into peaches in Kansas. In this connection it may not be un- 

 interesting to state the following : Charles Jackson, 4 miles from Racine, raised large 

 quantities of melons for market, mostly of the nutmeg variety. He complained to me 

 that there was a miller that swarmed in his melon patch at night, and did much 

 damage. I visited the locality at night, and discovered that it was the Aletia argillacea, 

 and that they did literally swarm ; and wherever there was a ripe melon that had a 

 slight crack on its surface, there the moths were sucking and crowding into the fruit; 

 and in that way they did considerable damage. This was on September 10, 1877. 

 Last fall they were not so numerous, and did less damage. I noticed where the 

 melons were perfectly sound they did not work. * * * 



P. R. HOY, .V. D. 



C. Y. RILEY. Washington, D. C. 



Kecently, at my request, Dr. Hoy sent to this department a specimen 

 of a melon-eating moth, and it proves to be without doubt Aletia argilla- 

 cea. Dr. Hoy's observations are very interesting, not merely as illustrat- 

 ing another mode in which this pernicious pest may be the source of 

 serious annoyance, but also as bearing on the question of the migratory 

 powers of the moth. We shall have occasion to refer to this again in 

 another chapter. 



Although it appears from the letter of Dr. Hoy that the moths injured 

 only those melons which were cracked, it is certain that in the case of 

 figs, peaches, and grapes the moths have the power of piercing .holes 

 through the unbroken rind of the fruit, and thus of destroy ing fruit pre- 

 viously uninjured. That a moth should have this power is a remarkable 

 fact. As a rule, butterflies and moths are only able to sip iluid sweets 

 from open reservoirs, as the nectaries of flowers, the organ with which 

 this is done being soft and flexible. 



While in the field last year 1 carefully watched the operation of pierc- 



ing the skin of a peach. At 

 times the moth used the tip 

 of its maxilla; as if it were 

 trying to prick a hole into the 

 fruit ; at other times the tip 

 of the maxillae was incurved, 

 and tlie dorsal surface thus 

 presented to the peach used 



FlG. 4. Maxillae of cotton-moth. as a rasp. A Study of the 



structure of the maxilla' shows how well adapted they are for piercing 

 and rasping. The tip of the organ is well adapted for piercing, as is 



