48 



A small Oapsid (Trijphleps insidiosus) is found abundantly on corn 

 silks. It punctures and feeds upon the eggs of Heliotliis and probably 

 very young Boll Worms. Many beneficial insects, especially the small 

 Scymnid beetles, are also abundantly found on corn silks. This sub- 

 ject will, however, be treated more fully in a subsequent report. 



INSECT RAVAGES EASILY MISTAKEN FOR THOSE OF BOLL WORM. 



All of those noted in Bulletin No. 24 of the Division have been ob- 

 served again, with the additional one of Thecla pceas, which, however, 

 had been previously recorded. Among the Tortricidre, a number of 

 species have been reared on cotton. The habits of the larvae are well 

 known to be such that it is reasonable to expect that those species of 

 Pyralidse and Tortricidre which feed on cotton at all may occasionally 

 in doing so bore a stem or peduncle, or even the bolls, forms, and 

 squares themselves. 



Many Hemipterous insects puncture very young forms and squares, 

 or their peduncles, causing the prospective fruit to fall. The mark re- 

 sulting from the puncture closely resembles the working of very young 

 Boll Worms, and by many planters the latter are held responsible for 

 the injury. To Hemipterous insects is due much of the shedding of 

 cotton in August and September, and ravages are popularly called 

 " sharpshooter" work. The most injurious, and perhaps also the most 

 abundant of the sharpshooters is a large leaf-hopper (Aulacizes sp.). 

 Galocoris rcupidus, Largus ductus are among those also which do much 

 damage. The life-history and ravages of these insects must be re- 

 served for more complete discussion in a subsequent report. 



REMEDIES. 



The great range of food-plants of the Boll Worm, its habit and method 

 of feeding upon special portions of these host plants, together with the 

 isolation of individuals which necessarily follow such food-habits, make 

 all insecticidal measures of any nature little of or no practcial utility. 

 In the regions designated heretofore as injured probably about 2 per 

 cent or less, the attack by the Boll Worm is divided between so many 

 different crops that the application of any insecticide upon one crop be- 

 comes much more expensive for that crop than the injury done by the 

 worm. Furthermore, such measures are inadequate unless applied to 

 all the crops attacked at any specified time in any given locality. For 

 these regions it is evident, therefore, that insecticidal measures are 

 entirely impractical, even though the insecticide be a perfectly efficient 

 one and can be applied with the greatest effect. The same can be said 

 for localities worse infested, though the difference in destructiveness 

 partly mitigates the excess of expense. In any case, the vast areas of 

 cotton to be treated in addition to other crops still make such measures 

 questionable as to expense, aside from the time required during the 



