REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I918 2,'J 



fields. The total infested area at the close of that season was approxi- 

 mately 400 square miles while data now at hand indicate some 1800 

 square miles infested in the eastern part of Massachusetts, extending 

 from the Cape north to New Hampshire and including three of the 

 southeastern towns in that state. 



An infestation was discovered at Scotia, Schenectady coimty, 

 January 29, 1919,^ and subsequent investigations showed the borer 

 to be somewhat generally established over an area of possibly 500 

 square miles, including portions of Albany, Schenectady, Schoharie, 

 Herkimer, Fulton, Saratoga and Rensselaer counties and extending 

 from a little east of Troy westward to Fort Htmter, north nearly to 

 Saratoga and south to Esperance. The presence of the insect on 

 the Mohawk fiats is a serious phase of the problem since these areas 

 are annually flooded and as a consequence infested stalks may be 

 swept down the river and deposited along the extensive shore line 

 of this water wa3^ 



An infestation in Erie county was located in September 19 19, and 

 subsequent examinations have shown this borer to occupy an area 

 of possibly some 400 square miles in portions of Cattaraugus, Chau- 

 tauqua and Erie counties, the insect having been foimd from a little 

 east of Buffalo south and southwest to Gowanda and Fredonia. 



There was also an infestation reported in September of the same 

 year in Erie coimty, Pennsylvania. This latter appears to be con- 

 fined to a very small area. 



European history. This pest has an imsavory record in Europe, 

 being reported as frequently causing a loss of 50 per cent to corn and 

 hemp in central Eiurope. It is recorded as being widely distributed 

 in central and southern Europe, west central and northern Asia, 

 China and Japan. This latter leads us to expect that this pest 

 can flourish throughout our extensive com belt. 



Work in com. The caterpillars of this pest feed upon com leaves 

 to a slight extent, injure the tassels, tunnel the stalks and cobs (plate 

 i) and feed upon the com itself (plate 2). Their work, followed 

 by the invasion of moisture, bacteria and fimgi may easily result in 

 the nearly complete destruction of the entire crop. Field counts 

 last season in Massachusetts by federal and state agents resulted 

 in finding 100 per cent of the ears infested in a quarter of an acre of 

 sweet com and an examination of badly infested areas showed an 

 average of 46 caterpillars to a plant, or approximately 1,050,000 to an 



•Owing to the delay in printing this report, it was considered advisable to 

 bring this record of distribution down to the end of 191 9. 



