REPORT OF THE STAT]; KKTOMOLOGIST I918 63 



in 19 iS, according to reports and specimens received May 14th 

 from J. F. Eastman, county agricultural agent. He states that the 

 caterpillars were " found in large numbers in old pastures feeding at 

 the roots of grasses. The areas of the pastures were to a large extent 

 devastated owing to the ravages of these insects." The caterpillars 

 concerned in this last injury were determined by G. G. Ainslie as 

 Crambus vulgivagellus Clem. With these species there 

 were also several specimens of the bronze-colored cut worm, 

 Nephelodes violans Guen., and also of the greasy cut 

 worm, Agrotis ypsilon Rott. These latter two were 

 comparatively few, however. It is interesting to note that Mr 

 Eastman reported crows, blackbirds, sparrows and other birds having 

 fed so effectively upon the pest that none could be found some 3 

 weeks later, namely, June i ith. 



A frequent crop rotation is presimiably of considerable value in 

 preventing injury by grass web worms. In localities where webworms 

 are frequently niunerous, it is advisable to keep com and other sus- 

 ceptible crops some distance from grass lands and to avoid planting 

 upon recently turned sod. Early fall plowing for badly infested 

 land, mid-August or early September, would very likely result in 

 the destruction of many of the young caterpillars and do much to 

 prevent the possibility of injury if com were planted the next season. 

 If this be impractical, spring plowing should be delayed as late as 

 possible so as to give the caterpillars a chance nearly to complete 

 feeding before the sod is turned under. Replanted com or late 

 planted com is very likely to escape serious damage. 



Lined com borer (Hadena fractilinea Grote). Yellow- 

 ish, dull-brown striped, rather slender caterpillars, nearly an inch 

 long, may work in early June in the heart of young corn, tunneling 

 the stalks and giving evidence of their presence by the irregular 

 holes near the base of the leaves and wilting of the earlier injured 

 plants. The work of this pest is very similar to that of the stalk 

 borer though the striking blotchy markings of the latter make it 

 very easy to distinguish between the two. The caterpillar of the 

 lined stalk borer presents a superficial resemblance, size and all, 

 to the recently introduced European com borer though it can be 

 easily distinguished therefrom by the practical absence of chitinized 

 or horny tubercles and the fact that usually it works only in young 

 corn, generally in early June. 



The lined com borer appears to be a comparatively rare pest in 

 New York State or else its work is overlooked or commonly attributed 

 to some other insect. It was first recognized in the State in 1913 



