50 CIRCULAR 639, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
and the black specks remain on the leaves after they are cured, al- 
though the bleached areas are somewhat less noticeable after the leaves 
have passed through the sweating process. 
The adult flea hoppers emerge from hibernation early in the spring 
and attack tobacco in the plant beds and in newly set fields. There 
appear to be several generations in this latitude. The insects are 
abundant in the late fall months but gradually disappear as cold 
weather approaches. 
Flea hoppers feed upon a great variety of wild and cultivated 
plants. Truck crops and legumes are favored by this species. 
Limited experiments in this region with insecticides for the control 
of this insect on tobacco have failed to yield any remedial measures 
of value. 
It has been observed that the heavier infestations usually occur on 
tobacco crops that have been preceded on the ground by a heavy 
growth of vegetation or by truck crops late in the fall or in the early 
part of winter. For the prevention of flea hopper attacks it there- 
fore appears advisable to keep tobacco land free of green vegetation 
during the preceding late-fall and winter months. 
Tue Potato Tuser Worm, or Tosacco SPLITWORM 
The potato tuber worm (Gnorimoschema operculella (Zell.)) is 
normally a pest of minor importance in the Georgia and Florida 
tobacco-producing region. When this insect attacks tobacco it is_ 
usually described as the “splitworm.” Its occasional attacks on the 
lower leaves often arouse apprehension that the damage may continue 
through the entire crop. 
The eggs from which the splitworm hatches are deposited on the 
tobacco leaves by a small gray moth. The young splitworms bore 
into the leaves and form the characteristic tunnels between the two 
leaf surfaces. They frequently tunnel the midrib or a vein in addi- 
tion to the mining of the leaf tissue. When small tobacco plants 
are attacked the insect may tunnel into the stems and buds. 
The full-grown larva is about three-fourths of an inch long, and 
is easily visible from both sides of the leaf. The body color varies 
from green to gray and frequently appears purplish. 
Injury on tobacco in this region usually occurs on the lower leaves. 
Leaves that have been tunneled near the veins are frequently dis- 
torted (fig. 56). Considerable feeding by the insect renders them 
worthless. No control methods of definite value are known. 
OTHER INSECTS O€CASIONAELY FOUND FEEDING 
ON TOBACCO 
Several other species of insects feed to some extent on tobacco in 
this region with occasional damage. The more important ones will 
be discussed briefly. 
The garden slug (Agriolimax agrestis (i.)) is not an insect, but 
should receive mention as it occasionally feeds on young tobacco 
plants in the beds and in the fields. These slugs, frequently called 
“snails,” are grayish, slimy animals, usually about an inch in length. 
They injure tobacco under very damp, humid conditions. When 
conditions become normal the attacks usually cease. Hydrated or 
