38 REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 1 92 1 



this office show that the insect was particularly abundant that year 

 in Chautauqua, Erie, Livingston and Yates counties. 



Earlier New York records. An examination of the reports of 

 this office covering a period of over 40 years discloses a record of 

 injury in the central part of the State in 1881, another in 1890, 

 relates to injury at Albany and in Westchester county. A third states 

 that in 1902 this insect was unusually abundant on corn at Mount 

 Vernon and in one instance infested ears were shipped to Albany. 

 It was again destructive to corn in Ontario county 7 in 1908, in 1909 

 it was reported as injurious from Shelter Island and in 1914 from 

 several Hudson valley localities. 



The above records of earlier injury would hardly justify the 

 belief that this insect is markedly injurious from year to year in 

 the southern, warmer parts of the State. 



Life-history and habits. The corn ear worm is a well-known 

 southern pest. It is the boll worm and the tobacco bud worm of 

 the south. It is also known as the tomato fruit worm. There are 

 four and possibly five generations in the south, the larvae or pupae 

 hibernating underground. 



Our rinding, June 29th, of partly grown corn ear worms in a 

 Gowanda field appears to be the earliest record of the insect in the 

 State for 1921. The infestation was scattering and some of the 

 larvae were about half grown. It would appear entirely possible 

 for two generations to develop later in the season and a very sparse 

 infestation thus early might easily account for the serious and wide- 

 spread injury experienced toward the end of the season. 



Comparatively little is known concerning the habits of this insect 

 in the northern states except that it is usually present every autumn 

 in small numbers, and in New York State it is generally limited to 

 the warmer portions, Long Island and the central or southwestern 

 part of the State. There is a general impression that the insect 

 can not winter successfully, at least in large numbers, in the cooler 

 portions of our corn-growing area and this is supported by the fact 

 that outbreaks such as that of last year are very exceptional ; more- 

 over both this one and that in 19 19 followed exceptionally mild 

 winters, which latter presumably afforded unusually favorable con- 

 ditions for successful hibernation. The occurrence of the corn ear 

 worm in New York State as outlined above appears to agree sub- 

 stantially with known conditions in Massachusetts, Connecticut, 

 Ohio and presumably Pennsylvania. The presumed inability of 

 the corn ear worm successfully to withstand our northern winters 



