CHAPTER XI 



CORN— ENEMIES 



Maize suffers frum a number of insects and fungous 

 diseases, altliough farmers usuallj^ do not find it necessary 

 to treat tlie crop in tlie field. The most important corn 

 enemies in the Soutli are described in this chapter. 



Insects 

 189. Budworms. — This is the larval or grub stage of a 



small beetle, the twelve-spotted lady-bug (Diabrotica 



12-punctata}. Thebeetle 

 or mature insect feeds on 

 almost an J' form of green 

 vegetation and may spe- 

 ciall}' f)e noticed early 

 in the season on alfalfa, 

 clover, and early vege- 

 taliles. It is only about 

 one fourth of an inch 

 in length ; its color is a 

 greenish yellow, and on 



17 inn -r 15 r. i^"*^ wing-cascs, or back, 



Ina. ino. — The l^uD^YORM op Cohn 



(Diahrotica 12-piii)clntii). =^''<3 twelve iMaCK SpotS 



On right, adult beetle ; in center, grub (^^S- ^00). The egg is 



which bores into young plants ; and on laid On Or near the youno- 



left, base of a young corn plant showing , , ' r ^ 



holes made by budworms. (Beetle and ^'"-^l'" P'^^nt SOOn alter 



grub magnified.) germination, at a point 



206 



