THE SWEET-POTATO LEAF-FOLDER. 9 
insectary, since the temperature of the insectary is higher than the 
outdoor temperature. In outdoor cages moths began to issue on 
August 24 and August 26, 28 and 29 days after the eggs had been 
deposited. 
It appears that during the summer months the life cycle requires 
about five weeks in the field at Baton Rouge. Early in September, 
moths, pupae, and larvae in all stages of development were found on 
sweet-potato vines. There are probably four, and possibly five, gen- 
erations during the season in the latitude of Baton Rouge. 
NATURAL ENEMIES. 
A tachina fly (Exorista pyste Walk.) and an ichneumon fly which 
Mr. A. B. Gahan s of the Bureau of Entomology, has pronounced to 
be a new species of the genus Bassus, have been reared from collec- 
tions of larvae made in the field at Baton Rouge, indicating that they 
are parasites of the sweet-potato leaf- folder. Adults of the spined 
soldier bug (Podisus maculiventris Say) have been observed with 
larvae impaled on their beaks. 
Mr. High observed a predacious enemy of the larva in the "jack- 
daw," or boat-tailed grackle (Megaquiscalus major macrourus Swain- 
son). The following notes are from his records. 
" This bird winters in southern Texas by millions and feeds on a number of 
insects that attack truck crops and particularly on larvae. * * * observed 
it" first feeding on the cabbage looper (Aiitographa Jbrassicw Riley) in 1913, 
two days after cabbage had been sprayed with an arsenical. 
"Some species of larvae after being poisoned have a habit of crawling to the 
top leaves of the plant upon which they are feeding before dying, and here 
they fall easy prey to the grackle. The poison apparently does not seriously 
affect the birds, since none have been found dead in the vicinity of sprayed 
crops." . 
THE SWEET-POTATO LEAF-FOLDER IN SOUTHERN TEXAS. 1 
The sweet-potato leaf -folder (Pilocrocis tripunctata Fab.) was 
first observed by the writer in southern Texas September 17, 1916, 
when larvae were found sparingly on a plat of sweet potato at 
Brownsville, Tex. On September 29 the larvae were observed at 
work in another field near Brownsville, and by this time were more 
numerous in the plat where first they were found. At this time a 
sudden change in the weather accompanied by hard showers somewhat 
reduced their numbers. 
By the middle of October the caterpillars had become so abun- 
dant that it was found advisable to spray immediately. Later a 
1 Reported by M. M. High, Entomological Assistant, Bureau of Entomology, United 
States Department of Agriculture. 
