INSECTS INJURIOUS TO CORN". 133 



burrowing among the roots, and feeding upon the stalk 

 and outer leaves, or killing the phint by attacking the 

 crov>'n. The larvs vary considerably in color, from a 

 yellowish white, through pink, to a reddish or brownish 

 shade, and are studded with small tubercles, each bearing 

 a tuft of bristly liairs. The larvae become full-grown in 

 from five to seven weeks and are then from one-half to 

 three-fourths of an inch long. During the latter part of 

 July they form cocoons, sometimes in the larval tubes, in 

 which they pass the pupal stage and from which the 

 moths emerge some twelve to fifteen days Liter. Eggs are 

 laid in grass lands during August and September for 

 another brood, the larv» hatching in September and 

 October and becoming part-grown before winter. They 

 hibernate in their webs over winter, and as soon as the 

 grass commences its growth in the spring they are to be 

 found feeding upon it, becoming full-grown early in May. 

 Preventive, — As the natural food of these insects is grass, 

 it is not surprising that corn planted on sod land should 

 be worst injured; and though the injury 'done the grass 

 may not have been noticeable, wdien the available food is 

 so greatly diminished by substituting for grass land the 

 comparatively few hills of corn the injury becomes much 

 more serious and apparent. Though the planting of corn 

 on sod land is a most common practice, injury by this and 

 many other insect pests of corn — most of w^hose native 

 food is grass— might be avoided by planting any other crop 

 than a grain, such as potatoes. Otherwise plowing late in 

 the fall and harrowing so as to expose the larva? to the 

 weather, or plowing so deeply that they will be buried so 

 that they cannot regain the surface, will do much to pre- 

 vent injury the next season. Inasmuch as the moth will 



