414 COTTON 



" Sometimes they may be taken in coitu in the latter 

 situation. Rough grass and weedy growths near the 

 cotton fields also form day retreats for the adults. When 

 at rest the wings are tightly folded into the sides of the 

 body with one fore wing slightly overlapping the other, 

 so that the insect appears more or less wedge-shaped. 

 When they settle to feed the wings are held in a ' tecti- 

 form ' position over the abdomen. 



" As soon as it becomes dark the boll worm moths may 

 .be seen on the wing, their object being to feed and ovi- 

 posit. They fly with a rather slow and wavering flight. 



" Certain flowers appear to have a strong attraction 

 for them. During the last week in November, 1905, 

 great numbers of the moths were observed flitting about 

 a bed of chrysanthemums, from the disc flowers of whicii 

 they were busily engaged in sucking out the nectar. 

 During the day they concealed themselves amongst the 

 petals, as many as four or five being present on a single 

 flower-head." 



The species has been recorded from the following 

 localities : 



Europe. Southern Spain, Sicily, Crete. 



Africa. Throughout North, East, and South, and 

 recorded from Northern Nigeria in the West, Canaries, 

 Madagascar, and Mauritius. 



Asia. Syria, Baluchistan, India, Burma, and Siam. 



Australasia . Queensland . 



The food of the larvae appears to be limited to plants 

 belonging to the Order Malvaceae, among which it has 

 only been found upon the following' species in Egypt : 

 Cotton (Gossypium spp.), bamiah (Hibiscus esculentus), 

 tehl (H. cannabinus}, and garden hibiscus (H . rosa- 

 sinensis and H. mutabilis). A distinct preference is shown 

 for cotton in Egypt, although in India bamiah seems to 

 be more attractive, and for this reason has been used as 

 a trap in that country. 



It is the opinion of several entomologists and other 

 careful observers in Egypt that more damage is usually 

 done to the cotton crop by the boll worm than by the 

 cotton worm, notwithstanding that the latter is so much 

 more conspicuous in the fields. 



