NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 73 



The lined corn borer appeared up to 1919 to have been a com- 

 paratively rare insect in New York. It was first recognized in the 

 State in 1913 on account of injury caused at Stone Ridge, Ulster 

 county, and last summer because of its work in a corn field near 

 Chenango Bridge, Broome county. In this latter instance more 

 than half of the corn appeared to be infested with the pest. 



The extraordinary interest in corn borers in 1919 resulted in 

 bringing this pest to light in many localities and in practically every 

 instance its operations were confined to young corn usually less than 

 5 inches high which had been planted on recently turned sod. 

 Complaints of injury accompanied by specimens were received from 

 various places in Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Onondaga, Rensse- 

 laer and Saratoga counties, in some instances enough corn being 

 injured as to necessitate replanting. One farmer estimated that 

 one-third of his corn had been destroyed. The caterpillars evidently 

 migrate along the row to some extent, since here and there most 

 of the plants for a distance of several feet were infested or had 

 been destroyed and in several instances the borers were found upon 

 the leaves, head downward, evidently about to enter the growing 

 center of the young plant. Infestation is most easily recognized 

 by the irregularly eaten area near the base of the leaves and a 

 central hole, sometimes filled by the borer, leading to the tender 

 young growth. Older injury or more serious damage is indicated 

 by wilting. 



Comparatively little is known regarding the life history and habits 

 of the lined corn borer. The moths appear the latter half of July 

 or in early August. It is probable that the partly grown caterpillars 

 winter in the sod much as do those of a number of other noctuids, 

 as well as the frequently associated grass webworms. When the 

 presumably natural food, grass, is destroyed they are compelled to 

 turn to whatever may be at hand and consequently seriously injure 

 corn. Their work is limited as mentioned above to plants 2 to 4 

 inches high or thereabout, therefore replanted corn or late planted 

 corn is very likely to escape injury, the latter partly because of the 

 more favorable weather making it possible for the plant largely to 

 outgrow the ravages of this pest. The somewhat general prevalence 

 of the lined corn borer, even if not heretofore suspected, is another 

 reason for being careful about planting corn upon recently turned 

 sod land. 



Hadena dubitans Walk. There are a considerable series of cut 

 worms, a few of which have become well known on account of 



