17 



FOOD PLANTS. 



Throughout its rang-e a great variety of plants belonging to many 

 different natural orders are known to furnish subsistence to the boll- 

 worm. On some of these, as various weeds, its occurrence is more or 

 less accidental, due to the indiscriminate habits of the moth in egg lay- 

 ing, the food being plainly not suitable for the best growth and devel- 

 opment of the larva. In the case of many vegetables and ornamental 

 and fruit plants, however, these are fed upon with evident relish, and 

 the larvae are able to develop normally. Reports of occasional severe 

 injury to plants of this character may be held to indicate the capabili- 

 ties of the species, under favorable conditions, for depredations in the 

 future. With a species of such general feeding habits severe local 

 injury, in the absence of its preferred food plants, might reasonably 

 be expected to occur to some of the numerous other crops which it is 

 known to attack. 



Many of the plants mentioned in the subjoined table are, in foreign 

 countries, seriously ravaged by this pest. Important injury in the 

 United States is confined principally to cotton, corn, tomatoes, and 

 tobacco, concerning which a more detailed account will be given on 

 another page. 



Table I.— Food plants of HeliotMs ohsoleta. 



Food plants. 



Parts injured. 



Reported from. 



Convolvulacese: 



Morning glory {Ipomwa commu- 



Green fruit 



United states. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



United States (south Texas). 



United States. 



Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 



Do. 

 United States, India. 

 United States. 

 Cape Colony. 



tata). 

 Bind weed (JpoTOccasp. ) 



Foliage 



Chenopodiacese: 



^ Pigweed ( Chenopodium sp. ) 



Amarantaeepe: 



Amaranth {Amarantus spp.) 



LabiatPe: ^ 



Stachys agraria 



Stems, foliage 



Green seeds 



.. do 



Cucurbitacese: 



Squash {CucurUta pepa, var. con- 



densa). 

 Pumpkin ( CucurUta pepo) .... 



Vines, flowers, young fruit 



Cucumber ( Cucumis sativa) . . 

 Muskmelon ( Cucumis melo) ... 

 Watermelon (Citrullis vulnaris) 



Vines, fruit 



Young fruit 



do.. 



Compositae: ' " 

 Cocklebur {Xanthium struviarium) . 

 Sunflower [Helianthus sp. ) 



Foliage, stems 



Flower-heads 



Erigeron cnnadense 



Dahlia {Dahlia sp.) 



do ;; 



(?) 



Cannaceae: 



Canna {Canna indica) 



Tender central bud; seed cap- 

 sules. 



Squares, bolls, flowers, stems 

 foliage. ' 



Green seed-pods, stems 



Green seed-pods 



Malvaceae: 



Cotton ( Gossypium spp. ) . . . 



United States. 



Okra {Hibiscus esculentus) 



Malva borealis 



Southern United States, 



India (?). 

 United States. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Cape Colony. 



Sida spp 



Hibiscus sp 



do ['..[[[[]]. 



Grammse: 



Indian corn {Zea mays) 



Tender "bud," tassel, ears 



Tender central "bud," green 

 seeds. | 



Sorghum {borghum vulgaris, var 

 saccharatum). 



United States, Porto Eico. 



Brazil, Australia, Europe, 



Cape Colony. 

 United States, Natal. 



