THE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



III 



itself. But great care is of course necessaiy in such use 

 of poisons. 



It is not often that an insect attacks three crops which 

 are so different in every way as cotton, corn, and tomatoes. 

 This is the case, however, with the noctuid moth, known 

 by the various names of Bollworm, Corn Worm, and To-, 

 mato Fruit Worm. The cater- 

 pillars have a general resemblance 

 to some of the commoner cut- 

 worms, although they vary greatly 

 in color and markings. In the 

 Southern states, these caterpillars 

 feed to a destructive extent upon 

 the bolls of cotton, on account of 

 which they are called Bollworms. 

 In regions farther nortli, these 

 caterpillars feed inside the husks 

 of green corn, upon the tassels and 

 immature kernels, on account of 

 which they are commonly called 

 Corn Worms or Tassel Worms. 



In some regions where tomatoes are largely grown, these 

 caterpillars feed upon the green fruit, often boring into it 

 in a very destructive manner ; consequently, they have re- 

 ceived the name Tomato Fruit Worm. In the .South, how- 

 ever, the insect does not confine its attention to cotton, for 

 it often feeds also upon green corn even in cotton-growing 

 regions. 



As a Corn Worm, the life history of this insect may be 

 summarized in these words : The adult yellowish or yel- 

 lowish-green moths appear in the cornfield early in the 

 summer and deposit their eggs upon the leaves or stalks 

 of the growing plants. Four or five days later these eggs 



COITON BOLLWORM 



