﻿4 BULLETIN" 5, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



plants. As observed by us, their mode of attack differed from that of their 

 northern congener in that they did not appear to attack the fibrous roots or 

 bury themselves in longitudinal channels excavated in the larger roots. On the 

 contrary, they burrowed directly into the plants at or near the upper whorl of 

 roots, which almost invariably resulted in the death of the plant. These larvae 

 were much more active than those of longicornis, and on being disturbed would 

 make their way out of their burrows and attempt to escape by crawling slowly 

 into crevices in the soil, or if it were finely pulverized they would work their 

 way down into it out of sight. Often several individuals, varying greatly 

 in size, would be found .about a single plant. On the 20th of same month, in 

 another field, we found the larvae much more numerous and the crop injured 

 fully 75 per cent. Plants here, 6 to 8 inches high, were withering up and dis- 

 coloring. Both of these fields had produced cotton the preceding year. 



April 27, 1888, serious attacks to young growing corn were ob- 

 served on Perkins's plantation, near Somerset Landing, Tensas Par- 

 ish, La., and on May 12 similar depredations were noted in the vicinity 

 of Madison, Ark. Still later the author found the larvae attacking 

 late-planted corn at La Fayette, Ind., July 12, and on July 14 of the 

 same year 595 of these larvae were collected and placed in rearing 

 cages, adults from which appeared August 2 and 3. In all of the 

 localities just given, except the last, the ravages were on corn grow- 

 ing in the low damp lands. Throughout the South and even farther 

 north the soil of the lowlands and depressions in fields is of a darker 

 color than that of more elevated areas, hence the statement of farmers 

 and planters that the pest is more destructive on the " black lands." 

 Prof. H. Garman 1 stated that to his personal knowledge corn had 

 been injured during the years 1889 and 1890 in Virginia, Alabama, 

 Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, and Ohio. 



LOSSES CAUSED BY THE LARV/E. 



As showing the magnitude of the losses caused by this insect, 

 especially throughout the South, illustrations have been selected from 

 notes and correspondence of the bureau. During May, 1906, the 

 writer found that one-fourth to one-third of the young corn grow- 

 ing on the farm of the State Hospital for the Insane, at Columbia, 

 S. C, was being destroyed by these pests. The damage was being 

 done more especially on the low parts of the fields with black or 

 gray soils. Under date of July 15, 1907, Mr. R. F. Haynes. of 

 Cheoah, N. C, stated that the corn crop had been ruined in many 

 places during the spring by a worm that burrowed into the plant 

 just above the base of the roots. Under date of March 20, 1908, 

 Mr. D. P. High, of Whiteville, N. C, stated that farmers in his 

 neighborhood had difficulty in getting a stand of corn on their bot- 

 tom lands by reason of the attack of these worms. In his opinion it 

 was becoming the greatest cornfield pest, especially in cold, wet 



1 Psyche, vol. 0, p. 30, 1801. 



