2 BULLETIN 539, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ECONOMIC HISTORY. 



Although the lesser corn stalk-borer was originally described by 

 Zeller (3) in 1848, and was known to scientific workers from several 

 parts of the Western Hemisphere, it was not until 1881 that it began to 

 have other than a purely scientific interest. In July, 1 881 , C. V. Riley, 

 then entomologist of the United States Department of Agriculture, was 

 notified that an insect (later identified as this species) was injuring 

 com, both old and young, in the vicinity of Augusta, Ga. Steps were 

 taken at once to learn more of the life history and habits of the pest, 

 and agents of the Division of Entomology spent the remainder of 

 the year conducting investigations at these points in order that they 

 might be able to propose remedial or preventive measures. The 

 studies made at that time showed that this insect had not been 

 known as a pest until about 1878, and that during the period 1878- 

 1881 it had become of economic importance in Georgia and South 

 Carolina, specimens being taken even as far north as Chapel Hill, 

 N. C. The life history was partly worked out and published by Dr. 

 Riley (8, 9, 10) 1 ; but, as no further complaints were received, the 

 investigation was suspended. 



In a discussion of the corn insects of Nebraska, Prof. Lawrence 

 Bruner (14) published a brief account of this species and its work, 

 but did not state that it had been found in Nebraska. In 1884 (11) 

 and again in 1893 (16) Riley listed it as injurious to the stalk of corn. 



Not until nearly twenty years after the first recorded damage did it 

 -again become the object of special study by entomologists. In 1899 

 Dr. F. H. Chittenden, of the Bureau of Entomology, received com- 

 plaints of injury to beans by the insect in Alabama and South Caro- 

 lina, and also to peanuts in Georgia (19). Specimens of the insects 

 sent to Washington were identified as Elasmopalpus lignosellus, and 

 further biological studies were begun. All the available information 

 at this time was brought together, and the results published in Bul- 

 letin 23 of the Division of Entomology by Dr. Chittenden (18). A 

 brief note by Dr. Chittenden (21) in Bulletin 40 of the Bureau of 

 Entomology, published in 1903, reported damage to cowpeas in Texas 

 and Virginia, and the Yearbook of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture for 1903 (22) records injury to cowpeas, beans, 

 and soy beans in Texas, Alabama, and Virginia, part of these records 

 undoubtedly being repetitions of those given in Bulletin 40. In 1904 

 Titus and Pratt (23) listed it as injurious to corn, beans, and peas. 



Dr. S. A. Forbes (24) included this species in his monograph of 

 the insects injurious to corn, drawing largely from Riley's account 

 in describing its habits and methods of attack. He added the infor- 

 mation, however, that adults had been taken in Illinois in August 



i See "Literature cited," p. 25. 



