X 



V 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



I BULLETIN No. 914 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 

 L. O. HOWARD, Chief 



swr^su 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



December 9, 1920 



THE RED-BANDED LEAF-ROLLER. 1 



By F. H. Chittenden, Entomologist in Charge, Truck Crop Insect Investigations. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 



Descriptive 



Distribution 



Injuries and occurrences. 



Biologic notes 



History of the species__. 



Page. 

 1 

 2 

 4 

 5 

 7 

 8 



Page 



Food plants 10 



Natural enemies 10 



Control 11 



Summary 11 



Literature cited 13 



INTRODUCTION. 



A small greenish caterpillar, about three- fourths of an inch long 

 when mature, and known as the red-banded leaf-roller, attacks the 

 foliage of beans, sweet potato, asparagus, strawberry, raspberry, 

 and various other crops, and at times attracts considerable attention. 

 Such was the case in October, 1919, when the species was abundant 

 in and near the District of Columbia. 



October 9, 1919J the writer, in company with W. H. White, Bureau 

 of Entomology, noted that the foliage of sweet potato at College 

 Park, Md., showed considerable injury near the petioles or leaf- 

 stems manifested by large, irregular, more or less elongate holes 

 between the ribs. Some of these were made by a leaf-miner and had 

 been cut out earlier in the season, but many were the work of this 

 leaf-roller which had tied or joined the leaves in different manners. 

 In some cases the leaves were folded between the midrib and the 

 next rib, and the larva had gouged out a hole about twice this length 

 and half the width. Where the leaves w T ere joined the surface at one 

 end was lined with silk. In many cases the larva joined the leaves 

 near the middle of one side and cut out a similar hole, constructing 

 its tent-like shelter at one end. 



A very considerable proportion of the top leaves had been attacked 

 by this species and the leaf-miner, but at the time these observations 

 were made there were many more parasites and parasitic cocoons pres- 

 ent on the leaves than larvae. 



1 Eulia uelutinana Walk. 

 10299°— 20 



family Tortricidae, order Lepidoptera. 



