378 REPORT UPON COTTON INSECTS. 



forms on the cotton, and these were very small, so that the individual in question had 

 probably fed entirely on the leaves. On the llth of June, the first worm was found 

 eating the young flower buds or forms, and a few others were found from that time 

 onward ; but by far the most of these earlier larvae were confined to the corn. This 

 brood, then, which I suppose to have been the fourth, was in its prime about the mid- 

 dle of August, doing much damage to the forming cotton. 



Meantime larvae of each of these broods were found feeding, in greater or less num- 

 bers, on the green fruit of the garden-pea, the cow-pea, the tomato, and the wild 

 Erythrina herbacea, leguminous plant related to the first two named. When eating the 

 garden-pea, the larva bores a hole through the papery pod for its entrance, then eats 

 the entire contents of the pod before leaving it for another. But in eating cow-peas, 

 which are contained in a more fleshy pod and separated by fleshy partitions, it often 

 bores into one chamber of the pod, eats the seed in it, and then, instead of cutting 

 through the partition to reach the next, bores another hole from the outside. A sim- 

 ilar observation was made concerning Erytlirina. Nor does the boll-worm content 

 itself with this diet. Riley and Glover have pointed out other plants on which it 

 feeds, and not infrequently large individuals were seen by me eating the pupae of the 

 cotton caterpillar and even smaller larvae of their own species; while, as stated under 

 the head of the natural enemies of Aletia, it is probable that they sometimes kill the 

 larvae of that species. 



When a flower-bud or young boll of cotton is punctured by the boll- worm the in- 

 volucre or "square" which surrounds its base spreads open or " flares," and sooner 

 or later the injured fruit falls to the ground. Even before the cotton commenced to 

 bloom many of these blasted squares were to be seen on the ground, and in every case 

 where the involucre had flared open I found the form punctured, though most ofthese 

 punctures early in the season were very small, and had no excrement in the square 

 beneath them, thus differing from punctures formed by the boll-worm. There is no 

 doubt that these very small perforations are made by hemipterous insects, and I 

 strongly suspect two bugs very common on the cotton-plant, which have the habit of 

 running round the stalk as you try to obtain a view of them, much as squirrels do 

 under gtrnilar circumstances, so that they always keep the stem interposed between 

 themselves and an observer. This shyness prevented me from verifying my suspi- 

 cions, though I watched the insects a great many times. On the other hand, many 

 blasted squares result from climatic injuries, and these may be distinguished from 

 those caused by insects, since the square retains its normal position and form. 



When full grown the boll- worm enters the ground, forms a slight silken net, serv- 

 ing, in connection with the loose earth bound together by it, as a cocoon, in which the 

 larva shortens and becomes fusiform, its colors fading, preparatory to pupation. 



The pupae of this species are plowed up in numbers, especially early in the spring, 

 and many planters mistake them for those of Aletia; but, having no use for the anal 

 hooks of the latter, the posterior end of their body is terminated by two slender 

 points, often so closely appressed as to look to the naked eye like a single spine. This 

 character readily distinguishes them from Aletia, as does their greater size and usually 

 lighter color. 



The moths of this species, like those of Aletia, feed upon the nectar secreted by the 

 glands of the cotton-plant, cow-pea, greater cottee weed, and probably other plants, 

 though I have never seen them feeding on others than those named, nor on fruits, 

 which are also probably attractive to them. When feeding on nectar these moths 

 vibrate their antennae rapidly, and, indeed, behave in all respects like Aletia, except- 

 ing that they hold their wings slightly spread and inclined upward, instead of folding 

 them close to their backs as the latter species does. Rarely, too, like the other species, 

 they hover before the gland, steadying themselves by their fore legs. 1 did not find 

 that these moths showed as marked an appreciation as Aletia does, nor were they any 

 more abundantly attracted to my lights or baits. 



Like the cotton caterpillar, the boll-worm is more abundant in wet than in dry 

 places at least such was my experience and it is also said to do better in wet than 

 in dry seasons. This ia readily explained by the hostility of ants, which are more 

 abundant in dry than in wet places, and in fair than in rainy seasons. Early in June 

 several half-grown " bud-worms " were collected ou Indian corn and transferred to 

 cotton-plants with a view to watching their actions. Care was taken to place them 

 on plants on which there were no ants. Seating myself beside them, I awaited de- 

 velopments. At first they evinced no desire to do more than conceal themselves be- 

 neath the leaves from the glare of the sun. But it was not long before a stray ant 

 appeared on the plant, and, finding a larva, proceeded to run round and round it, 

 biting it whenever it could. Soon, however, finding that unaided it could do little, 

 the ant left the plant, and, after watching it a short time, I lost sight of it ; but in a 

 few minutes it returned, accompanied by several others of the same species. In a lit- 

 tle while the worm was so worried that it fell from the plant, and was soon killed and 

 carried off by its tormentors, which followed it to the ground. Several times I saw 

 this repeated, the boll-worms being killed in each case within an hour from the time 



