REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I919 IQ 



Another infestation was discovered at North Colhns, Erie county, 

 in early September 1919, and as a result of scouting by both federal 

 and state men the infested area in that section has been found to 

 approximate 400 square miles and to include portions of Cat- 

 taraugus, Chautauqua and Erie counties. 



The situation was of more than usual interest since in early 

 spring it was impossible to get more than a tentative identification 

 because Pyraustid larvae, a group to which the European corn borer 

 belongs, are so similar that at the time no unquestioned recognition 

 characters were known. The situation was further complicated by 

 the fact that a very similar borer occurs rather commonly in 

 smartweed and while this latter is of no economic importance, it 

 occasionally bores in corn stalks and it was therefore necessary 10 

 distinguish between this harmless native species and the much more 

 dangerous European introduction, if state money was not to be 

 wasted in cleaning up areas outside the infested territory. The 

 Entomologist addressed himself to the early solution of this problem 

 and after securing series of specimens from different sections of 

 New York State and from other parts of the country, worked out 

 differentiating characters which have been largely sustained by later 

 investigations. 



Conditions were such in the spring of 1919 that it was very desir- 

 able to ascertain at the earliest possible moment the distribution of 

 the European corn borer in the State, consequently bulletins, posters 

 and circulars were widely distributed. The Entomologist prepared 

 a brief circular letter which was sent very generally to schools of 

 the State, Cornell University Extension Bulletin 31, of which an 

 edition of 40,000 was printed, and the Education Department's Bul- 

 letin to the Schools of June ist, the last illustrated by four admirably 

 executed colored plates. Numerous press notices were also sent 

 out. The Department of Farms and Markets published Circular 

 No. 182 and issued a number of quarantine orders. The result of 

 these publicity and regulatory measures was an extraordinary inter- 

 est in all manner of corn insects and as an indirect outcome valuable 

 information was secured concerning a number of comparatively 

 unimportant pests, notably the lined corn borer and grass webworms. 



The European corn borer is of such general importance and its 

 habits in New York State so different from those in Massachusetts 

 that application was made to the Legislature for a special appropria- 

 tion for the investigation of the status of this insect and $5000 was 

 appropriated. This money is being used in a careful field study of 

 the pest to ascertain the rapidity of spread, the amount of injury 



