26 PAPERS ON INSECTS AFFECTING VEGETABLES. 



more serious on young cabbage, because the " buds " were being de- 

 voured and small webs rilled with excrement wereleft in their stead. 

 There was only a small plat of cabbage where, on the other hand, 

 there were acres of turnips. The webs were distributed also over the 

 turnips, some of them being empty, the larva having transformed 

 to the moth. This pest was doing great damage to the two truck 

 crops. Some other pests were associated with it and were doing some 

 injury, such as the flea-beetle (PJiyllotreta bipustulata Fab.) and the 

 cabbage looper (Autographa brassicw Riley). 



During the fall of 1909 the late F. C. Pratt reported this webworm 

 as a pest to cruciferous crops at Sabinal, Tex. About the middle of 

 January, 1910, the junior author visited Sabinal and in company 

 with Mr. Pratt examined the gardens where injury had occurred. 

 The characteristic work of the larva was observed on radish and 

 cabbage, which remained as crop remnants, but none of the insects 

 was found. Mr. Pratt said he had taken an adult, out of doors, late 

 in November and expressed the opinion that the insect might winter 

 in the adult condition in that locality. 



October 22 the larva was observed in large numbers at Columbus, 

 Miss., upon cabbage, turnips, and collar ds grown by Mr. J. E. 

 Slaughter. The larvae bore into the stems of the cabbage and tur- 

 nips for some little distance or eat out small crevices in the edges of 

 the stems, enough to bury their bodies, and then, spinning a cocoon, 

 they transform into pupae. 



November 2, 1909, the larva was found by Mr. M. M. High in 

 large numbers at Starkville, Miss., upon turnips. The larva was 

 observed in the crotch of every other plant, boring and hiding from 

 the light. From one to three were found in the " buds." Fully 50 

 per cent of the turnip crop under consideration had the buds de- 

 stroyed by this imported webworm. The plants attacked had small 

 roots and looked stunted or checked in their growth. 



This insect seems to do the greater damage to cabbage and turnips, 

 although injury to collards is by no means slight, especially while the 

 latter are young. The larva seems to prefer turnips in the row to 

 those sown broadcast. There was not a plant, either cabbage or 

 turnip, but that contained from two to many of these larvae. 



December 3, 1909, Mr. High found webworms of this species in 

 large numbers in the crotch and stems of turnips at Hattiesburg, 

 Miss., where they concealed themselves beneath their webs, destroy- 

 ing the most vital portion of the plant. One grower stated that this 

 insect was a perfect nuisance to older plants and a menace to young 

 ones. He said : 



The little striped worm enters the bud of both cabbage and turnip when the 

 plants are quite young and devours them, thus forcing the plant to grow a new 

 bud and start or begin new growth — my first crop of cabbage in the spring 

 being almost totally destroyed from the work of this striped worm. 



