Dec. 1896.] 



INJURIOUS INSECTS AND FUNGI. 



281 



countries of Europe. In the United States, according to Mr. 

 L. O. Howard, the moths fly out from the granaries at harvest 

 time and deposit eggs upon the grain in the shocks. Mr. Howard, 

 and Dr. Lintner, report that there are several broods of this 

 insect in America, the number depending upon the latitude. 

 Professor H. E. Weed, of the Mississippi Agricultural College, 

 states that in warm weather it only requires one month to .pass 

 from the egg to the moth stage, and that the various stages of the 

 insect can be found in infested grain at all times of the year. 



In the maize sent to the Board of Agriculture moths came 

 forth from the latter part of August until the end of November, 

 and larvae as well as pupae, and moths which were pairing, were 

 found during this time. 



The indications of infestation are lightness of the infested 

 grains, which will swim in water, and a tiny round transparent 

 patch of the skin of tne grain cut closely round by the larva 

 just before pupation, to enable the moth to escape by merely 

 pressing against the patch with its head. An infested grain is 

 usually cleared of its contents by one larva. Now and then 

 two larvae are found in one grain of maize, but there was 

 only one in each of the grains examined in the sample sent to 

 the Board of Agriculture. Curtis, quoting Reaumur, sa} r s that 

 a grain of wheat, or barley, contains the exact quantity of 

 nutrition necessary to feed and support the larva until its 

 transformation. 



The egg, which is at first almost colourless, soon changes to a 

 light orange colour, becoming darker later on ; it is shaped 

 somewhat like a pear, and is generally laid in groups of two to 

 six upon a grain. In about a week larvae come forth, work 

 their way into the grain, and feed upon the contents. The larva 

 is rather more than a quarter of an inch long, yellowish white, 

 and much wrinkled, with a chestnut- coloured head. It has a 

 few bristles on the first and last segments, and three pairs of 

 claw feet and eight pairs of sucker feet. The pair on the last 

 segment are more distinct than the other six pairs, which are 

 small and hardly discernible without a glass. The sucker feet 

 are furnished with dark coloured hooks. The pupa is very 

 light brown in colour, and rather more than a quarter of an 

 inch long. The wing pads are nearly as long as the body and 

 rather darker. The black eyes are very prominent. Pupation 

 takes place within the grain, and the moth emerges through the 

 little hole, pushing away the thin membrane covering it. 



The moth has a wing expanse of slightly over half an inch. 

 The head, antennae, and body are silver grey ; the fore-wings 

 are of a pale, lustrous fawn colour. There are a few dark 

 irregular spots on the fore -wings ; in some specimens these 

 spots are more numerous and darker than in others. The hind- 

 wings are somewhat darker than the fore-wings, having long 

 fringes. The legs are of the same colour as the body, except 

 the first pair, which are dark. 



