10 BULLETIN" 363;, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



vested in October and November. Mr. Diggs reported that he found 

 the worst damage in immature or imperfect ears where the bollworm 

 or birds had attacked the ear. 



During the last days of December, and on January 1, this species 

 was reared from different lots of corn received from Mississippi. 

 One of these localities is Sardis; another is Batesville. The material 

 was received about November 19. 



Twenty ears of corn were received on January 7 from Mr. Thos. H. 

 JoneS; of the Bureau of Entomology, Baton Rouge, La.; all were 

 imperfect, every ear having been injured and much stunted by the 

 corn-ear worm {Heliotliis ohsoleta). The larval forms of Batrachedra 

 rileyi were crawling over the husks of the com in great niunbers, 

 as also on the inside of the bags, seeking a suitable spot for pupa- 

 tion. There were approximately 400 larvae of various sizes. The 

 larvae worked on the underside of the gram, especially in the decaying 

 grains or parts of the ears, but the actual damage resulting in this 

 instance was not great. Pupse were also found m various places — 

 in the husks, beneath the hoUow gram, m the cob, and among the 

 castings on the ear. Mr. Jones wrote as follows : 



Larvae were common in undeveloped and poorly formed ears of yellow flint corn in 

 a field at Baton Rouge, on January 2. The valuable ears had been pulled from the 

 stalks in the fall, the stalks at present being dead and brown and, for the most part, 

 still standing. The larvt? were found beneath the husk, working on the surface of the 

 cob among the remains of the kernels, many of which have never matured. 



January 29, Mr. J. J. W. Smith, Waterford, Marshall County, Miss., 

 sent three ears of corn badly infested with the little worms. They 

 were described as doing much damage to the corn. 



They go from one end to the other in the heart of the corn. Shucking the corn out 

 is the best and safest way to save the corn. Cold weather does not seem to have any 

 effect on them while the shuck is on the corn. But when the corn is shucked and 

 knocked about it helps the corn and does not give the worms such a good chance. 



February 1, Mr. W. T. McDonald, Bailey, Miss., sent specimens 

 working in corn ears injured by the corn-ear worm, with the state- 

 ment — 



we attribute the heavy infestation of the worms this season to the extreme dry weather 

 while the corn was making. I find on my place that the corn worst hurt by the 

 drought is worst infested by the "worms." * * * I have never had any experi- 

 ence with the pest prior to the present season, and I may be in error. 



Similar complaints were also received of injury to corn from various 

 other localities, as follows: Brownsville, Tex., reported by M. M. 

 High; Lawrence, Union, Saltillo, Harris, Louin, Battlefield, Chunky, 

 Coila, Beach, and Thyatira, Miss.; Fayette, Ala., and Scott, Ark. 

 The insect has been reported by Prof. J. M. Beal, Agricultural Col- 

 lege, Miss., to have attacked Kafir corn. During November of 1915 

 complaint of injury by this species was made at Quitman, Miss. 



