Apply an insecticide next November to kill adults . This will decrease egg laying 

 during the fall, winter, and spring. Sprays applied in the spring usually are not 

 needed; and again, this practice will maintain a suitable number of parasites. Large 

 alfalfa producers use this method in order to avoid hurry-scurry in the spring during 

 planting season for corn and beans. 



In many cases, there is no information on naturally occuring biological factors that 

 help suppress the populations of insect pests. Yet, ignoring known biological con- 

 trols, as with the alfalfa weevil, is unsound and can only lead to a greater use of 

 pesticides and to additional legal restrictions on their use. 



Clover leaf weevils. These are green worms with brown heads and white stripes down 

 their backs. They resemble the alfalfa weevil larvae, which have black heads and 

 are smaller. The insects clover leaf weevils are damaging a few fields of red clover 

 in southern, central, and western Illinois. Twenty to thirty larvae per square foot 

 can be found in these fields. A fungus disease attacks and kills these insects 

 during warm, muggy weather; but during cool weather the fungus has no effect, so 

 damage from this pest could result. If this is the case, a spray of malathion at 

 one pound per acre will help provide control. 



Spittlebugs. Although they are not expected to be a problem, hatching has started 

 in the southwest part of the state. 



CORN INSECTS 



Flea beetles. They can cause rapid and serious injury to small, newly emerging corn 

 plants . These tiny, shiny-black, jumping beetles strip out narrow lines on the corn 

 leaves parallel to the leaf veins, leaving only the white tissue. 



Corn flea beetles may transmit a bacterial wilt of corn known as Stewart's disease. 

 These bacteria overwinter in the body of the adult corn flea beetles . 



Warm temperatures during December, January, and February favor the survival of these 

 beetles. Since temperatures in some areas were above average this past winter, flea 

 beetles are expected to be more numerous this spring. 



Sweet corn is usually more susceptible to wilt than the dent corn varieties. 



Fields of newly emerging corn should be observed closely and often. If flea beetles 

 are numerous and damage is apparent, apply 3/4 of a pound of carbaryl or 1-1/2 pounds 

 of toxaphene per acre over the row as a spray. Do not use carbaryl near beehives, 

 or toxaphene near fish-bearing waters . 



Soil insecticides . A typographical error appeared in last week's bulletin. A re- 

 lease by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency quote should have been: "When 

 aldrin and dieldrin can be safely and economically replaced by non -persistent pesti- 

 cides, they should be so replaced." 



WHEAT INSECTS 



Hessian flies . Populations were higher last fall than in past years, and several 

 people have asked about the likelihood of damage to wheat this spring. At this 

 time, it is difficult to predict the damage potential. Most of the fields damaged 

 by the Hessian fly in the southern half of Illinois last fall were planted with 



