4 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189. 



During the same year Guen^e (8) gave the name Botys zealis to a species 

 from the East Indies very close to Botys eupulinalis. After the descrip- 

 tion he adds this note: "It may be simply a variation of our eupulinalis, 

 or, rather, this latter may have become acclimated among us with the 

 cultivation of maize, and may be of exotic origin." In the present state 

 of our knowledge the first theory seems to be the most probable. 



Lederer (9) in 1863 retains the species in the genus Botys, where it had 

 been placed through the faulty conception of Clerck's figure, by Guenee, 

 as previously mentioned. Lederer, however, accepts the figure of Hiib- 

 ner's nubilalis as truly representing the species, and refers to it as Botys 

 nubilalis. This name is accepted by Staudinger and Wocke (10) in 1871. 



Moore (12) in 1888 refers to the species as Hapalia kasmirica. He is 

 followed by Butler (13) as late as 1889, who designates the species as 

 Hapalia eupuUna (non Clerck). 



Meyrick (14) in 1895 removed the species to the genus Pyrausta, and 

 retained the nubilalis of Hiibner, in which he has since been followed by 

 Hampson (15), and by Staudinger and Rebel (17) in 1901. 



We may therefore accept the species as Pyrausta nubilalis Hubn. 



COMMON NAMES APPLIED TO SPECIES. 



In Europe several different common names are applied to the species 

 under consideration. The names most frequently used are the "corn 

 pyralid;" "maize pyralid;" "pyralid of the maize;" "maize botys;" 

 "botys;" "millet botys;" and "der Maiszunsler." 



In the literature concerning the insect which has been published in the 

 United States since its discovery, the species has been referred to as the 

 European corn borer and the European cornstalk borer. 



The former name undoubtedly is more appropriate for the insect, as 

 the larvae attack all parts of the corn plant except the fibrous roots, and 

 do not confine their operations to the stalk as the name cornstalk borer 

 would imply. Although many plants are attacked by the insect, corn 

 is its favorite host, and is injured to a greater extent than any other com- 

 mercial crop attacked by it. The name European is adopted to indicate 

 its foreign origin, although the species is indigenous to other parts of the 

 world. Taking all facts into consideration, it is believed that the name 

 European corn borer is the most appropriate common name for the insect, 

 and as such it will be considered in this bulletin. 



FOREIGN HISTORY. 



Foreign literature contains a large number of references to the serious 

 damage caused by P. nubilalis, a loss of 50 per cent of the crops attacked 

 being reported by some writers. There is, however, a decided lack of 

 literature dealing with its biology and control. The only exceptions are 

 the brief and incomplete articles by Robin and Laboulbene (11) in 1884, 



