THE IMPORTED CABBAGE WEB WORM. 27 



The cabbage plat now appears to be unmolested by this larva, while nearly 

 every turnip in the plat adjoining cabbage has one or more of the larvae some- 

 where near the base of the stems or leaves. 



A few mature larvae were found at Brownsville, Tex., November 5, 

 1910, boring in stems of mustard and crowns of young cabbage 

 plants. Evidence of past injury was common and indicated that the 

 larvae were more numerous in early October. Several cabbage grow- 

 ers stated that worms, which from their description were evidently 

 this species, caused considerable damage in seed beds. One grower 

 lost fully 50 per cent of his plants^ which had the bud destroyed and 

 were worthless for planting. 



Turnip, radish, and mustard plants in the earlier stages were gen- 

 erally attacked and stunted or caused to grow misshapen, and in 

 some cases were entirely destroyed, the larvae boring down into the 

 base of the crown and upward into the leaf stems after eating out the 

 crown. Several larvae attacked a plant simultaneously. 



At a meeting of the truck growers on the Indiana Canal, 5 miles 

 east of Brownsville, Tex., held November 28, 1910, nearly everyone 

 reported more or less damage to seed beds of cabbage in October. 

 Several had tried dusting with Paris green and lime, but evidently 

 after the injury began to be noticed the larvae could not be reached in 

 their burrows under the protection of the web. Very few sprayers 

 were in use among the farmers, who were mostly newcomers in this 

 section. At Henry Keller's at least 25 per cent of his seed beds were 

 ruined, and in small areas about 75 per cent had the bud eaten while 

 the plants were small. More than 25 per cent of his young cauli- 

 flowers set in the field were injured, and in many cases would not 

 make perfect heads. There were a few small larvae found at this 

 place and several adults were observed. 



Particulars in regard to earlier occurrences are given by the senior 

 Avriter in the following bulletins of the Bureau of Entomolog}^ : No. 

 19 (pp. 51-57), No. 23 (pp. 53-61), and No. 33 (pp. 48, 49). 



DESCRIPTION AND LIFE-HISTORY NOTES. 

 THE MOTH. 



The moth is illustrated at a of figure 4. It is gray in color, with 

 the forewings marked and mottled, as shown. The wing expanse 

 is about five-eighths of an inch (18 to 21 mm.). The following tech- 

 nical description is copied from Dr. Hulst's paper (4) : 



Palpi, head, thorax, and abdomen fuscous; forewings broken fuscous and 

 fuscous cinereous; the basal space with a black spot medially, two white lines 

 across the wings, the first extra basal edged with dark fuscous, the outer after . 

 the typical Botis pattern ; a dark-brown spot annulate with white at reniform ; 

 a dark-brown subtriangular apical patch, and a subterminal white line ; marginal 

 line black, broken; hind wings, even fuscous; beneath, lighter, lines obsolete, 

 reniform indistinct. 



20630°— Bull. 109—12 2 



