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Bahamas show the identity of the West Indian borer, which we can not 
but suppose is Guilding’s Diatrwa sacchari, with the Louisiana cane 
borer. 
Concerning the South American species and those of Mauritius, 
Java, and Queensland there is doubt, and it seems altogether likely 
that in different parts of the world we have several distinct species of 
Crambide uniting in the sugar-cane-boring habit, although those of 
South America and Java may be identical with our own. 
ANOTHER FOOD PLANT. 
Mr. Pergande, of the Division of Entomology, discovered, June 25, 
a small larva boring in the stalks of Gama grass or Sesame grass 
(Tripsacum dactyloides) at the southern end of the Long Bridge cross- 
ing the Potomac River at Washington. Other larve were found from 
time to time, and full-grown specimens were found July 14. These 
precisely resembled the larvee found in corn farther south in Virginia, 
and August 13 the first moth issued, setting at rest any doubt as to 
the identity of this species with the corn stalk-borer. The Gama grass 
has a large stem and grows to a height of 6 or more feet, and its leaves 
are almost as large as those of Indian corn, to which it is closely allied. 
It grows wild in moist soils from’ Connecticut southwards, and has been 
used for fodder. The borer in this food plant introduces a variation in 
habit, and it feeds mainly in the upper joints, some larve even having 
been found by Mr. Pergande feeding upon the seed head. At my sug- 
gestion he examined, on August 12, the corn fields adjoining this patch 
of Gama grass, and found that, while the grass was quite extensively in- 
fested, but one stalk of corn had been bored by this larva. 
We have then as the food plants of this insect the four closely related 
species, Sorghum vulgare, Saccharum officinarum, Tripsacum dactyloides, 
and Zea mays. 
Where the Gama grass grows in any quantity in the vicinity of corn- 
fields it will, therefore, be very necessary to burn it over every winter, 
an act of easy accomplishment and one which will probably materially 
reduce the numbers of the hibernated individuals which would other- 
wise fly out over the cornfields in spring. 
ADDITIONAL NOTE. 
Since this article was written a note by Mr. C. H. Tyler Townsend 
was read before the Association of Economic Entomologists at Wash- 
ington, August 17, in which he stated that he had found the larva of 
the sugar-cane borer infesting corn in two localities in New Mexico, 
and, in discussion, Mr. H. E. Weed stated that the same insect was 
occasionally found in corn in Mississippi. It may also be mentioned 
that Prof. H. A. Morgan has treated of the damage to sugar-cane in 
Louisiana in Bulletin No.9, Second Series of the Louisiana Experiment 
Station. 
