376 



Reply. — The Corn-stalk Borer (No. 1) and the Rag Weed Borer (No. 2) are both 

 larvae of Gortyna nitela as I supposed from your letter of the 27th ult. Achatodes zece 

 is quite a different thing. The Gortyna is a very common insect and is found on a 

 great many plants in addition to the two which you have mentioned. It first came 

 into prominence as a potato stalk-borer and was described as such by Professor Riley 

 in one of his early Missouri reports, and also in his little book on Potato Pests. It is 

 also found in a number of other cultivated plants and large-stemmed annual weeds. 

 No other remedy has been suggested than cutting them out of the stalks which they 

 infest, by hand, and this of course would be impossible in a field of corn. As they 

 seem to infest the Rag-weed on your place in considerable quantities, numbers can 

 doubtless be killed by cutting and burning the weeds at this time, or while the ma 

 jority of the larvae are still within the stalks. 



The Melon Worm. 



It has come under my observation that the late crop of canteloupes in this section 

 is generally very much injured by a bug or insect which bores a hole in the fruit 

 when about half grown or just ripening, rendering it entirely unfit for use, while 

 early crops are rarely if ever affected by this borer. The canteloupe crop will 

 be much later than usual this year on account of continued excessive rains this 

 spring, and want of warm weather to make the vines grow, and in anticipation 

 of the trouble referred to, I would be very glad to have you give me a remedy if you 

 know of any to avoid it. — [J. H. von Hasseln, Anderson, S. C. 



Reply. — The insect of which you speak is in all probability the Melon Worm of the 

 South (Phakellura hyalinatalis). This insect is treated in the annual report of this 

 Department for 1879, pages 218 to 220. The only remedy so far known is to watch 

 for the first brood of the worms, which will probably be found feeding upon the 

 leaves and stems before the young melons have begun to form. They should be killed 

 by hand or by the application of Paris green and flour. At this late date when the 

 second brood of the worms are boring into the melons there is no remedy. 



Cut-worms and Carnations. 



I send you by this mail some larvae which I find near the surface of the ground 

 around the roots of our carnations. There is something that eats a hole in the sides 

 of the buds of our carnations and destroys the whole of the flower. Our gardener 

 says that he believes this is the grub that does it, and that it goes up the stem in the 

 night and feeds on the buds, and hides in the soil during the day. As we have not 

 seen it around here very long I send it to you for a name. — [Thomas B. Meehan, Ger- 

 mantown, Philadelphia, Pa. 



Reply. — The insect which you send is the Variegated Cut-worm (larva of Agrotis 

 saucia) and it is altogether likely that it is responsible for the damage to carnations 

 which you describe. You will find this larva treated in the annual report of this 

 Department for 1884, pages 297 and 298. The subject of u Remedies for Cut worms " 

 will be found on pages 298 to 300. 



The Plant-feeding Lady-bird and the Potato Stalk-beetle. 



I take the liberty of forwarding to your address by mail to-day specimens of a bug 

 (also egg-clusters) which proves to be very destructive to the bean crop in Colorado. 

 It seems to be closely related to the potato-bug. Thehairy slug defoliates beau vines 

 in the same way that D. decemlineata defoliates potato-vines. I have recommended 

 the Paris green remedy also for this pest. Will you favor us by giving name and his- 

 tory of the insect ? Can you suggest a better remedy than Paris green ? 



Can anything be done to prevent the ravages of Baridius trinotatus, which threat- 

 ens the destruction of the potato fields in some sections of Pennsylvania ? — [Tuisco 

 Greiner, Little Silver, N. J. 



