﻿THE SOUTHERN CORN ROOTWORM, OR BUDWORM. 7 



out and that therefore remedial measures will be more effective than 

 they would be otherwise. It has been generally observed, however, 

 as between different females, that some contain eggs much less ad- 

 vanced than others, so that while the time required for the oviposition 

 of a single individual may be very short, some individuals may have 

 finished the process before others have begun. Even under such cir- 

 cumstances the egg-laying period can not be said to be exceptionally 

 protracted. 



SEASONAL HISTORY. 



While it is possible that the insect may occasionally pass the winter 

 as larva or pupa these instances have been observed too rarely to be 

 considered otherwise than abnormal. Throughout the entire coun- 

 try, from Brownsville, Tex., northward, the insect normally passes 

 the cooler months in the adult stage. 



In southern Florida and southern Texas, where the insect remains 

 active throughout the winter, the generations are but indistinctly 

 defined. Northward, however, the species has a definite period of 

 hibernation. 



Mr. Vickery has observed the sexes pairing in North Carolina in 

 November, and the author observed this at La Fayette, Ind., Sep- 

 tember 18, 1888, while Mr. Kelly made a similar observation at Man- 

 hattan, Kans. Mr. T. D. Urbahns found larvae about half an inch in 

 length in the roots of alfalfa at Mercedes, Tex., November 1, 1909, 

 from which two adults developed November 19. Mr. Vickery has 

 observed the males to fight each other most strenuously. 



From the foregoing it would seem that pairing may sometimes 

 take place during the late fall prior to the spring oviposition. Cer- 

 tain it is that many of the females are filled with fully developed 

 eggs in very early spring, and, as will be shown, they have been fre- 

 quently swept from wheat and oats, where they were observed to be 

 feeding, before corn has even been planted. 



This early appearance and feeding of the adults has been observed 

 b}^ Mr. Vickery at Winston-Salem, N. C, March 23, on rye, and at 

 Statesville, N. C, March 29, on wheat; by Mr. Urbahns at Santa 

 Maria, Tex., March 6, on oats; by Mr. George G. Ainslie at Nashville, 

 Tenn., January 15, on wheat; and by Mr. C. N. Ainslie at Mesilla 

 Park, N. Mex., April 1, on wheat. Adults were also observed by 

 Mr. Urbahns at Mercedes, Tex., February 18, damaging young alfalfa 

 by feeding on the leaves. At Lanes, Ga., March 3, and at Troy and 

 Montgomery, Ala., March 5, they were observed by Mr. Vickery 

 feeding on oats. Mr. George G. Ainslie observed them at Hunts- 

 ville, Ala., April 14, feeding on oats; at Franklin, Tenn., February 

 15 to 18, feeding on wheat; and at Clemson College, S. C, February 

 20, feeding on oats. Quaintance reported that adults were in evi- 



