THE PINK BOLLWORM 11 
The question of the extent to which the pink bollworm moth is 
attracted to lights is one which has been discussed extensively in the 
literature. In Hawaii. Busck (3) found that there is no attraction 
to lights under the conditions prevailing where he worked. Loftin, 
McKinney, and Hanson (14) made extensive tests in the Laguna 
region of Mexico, but failed to find any definite indications of such 
attraction. Fletcher (7), working in India, and Matsumoto (16), 
working in Korea, also failed to find much attraction to lights. How- 
ever, several Egyptian investigators, including Gough and Willcocks. 
have found moths coming to lights under certain conditions (1. p. 
238.) Gough captured a large number of specimens in light traps 
in the warehouse in which cottonseed was stored, and Willcocks with 
18 traps captured about 19,000 moths in three months, but did not 
consider that this was enough to warrant the use of light traps as a 
control measure. 
It is very probable that the differences in the observations are due 
to the varying conditions under which they were made. It is well 
known that insects are much more strongly attracted to lights under 
certain climatic conditions than under others. 
The explanation of the Egyptian observations may perhaps be 
found in the climate of the locality in which they were made. It is 
also possible that the quality of the lights used by the various ex- 
perimenters may help to explain the discrepancies. At any rate, it 
seems to be clearly indicated that under no known conditions is 
there attraction sufficient to be of any importance in control work. 
Considerable attention has been paid in various countries to the 
food plants of the pink bollworm. In Egypt the insect has been 
found breeding in okra, hemp, and hollyhock. There are similar 
records from India. In the Hawaiian Islands it has been found in 
various species of cotton and in Hibiscus youngiamms. From Brazil 
there are records of its occurrence in Cochlospc/niinn insigne and 
Bombax monguba (4). 
The most extensive studies of the alternative plants of the pink 
bollworm have been conducted in Mexico (14). Okra and hollyhock 
were frequently found infested, as was a native desert plant. 
Hibiscus cardiophyllus Gra} 7 . A large series of malvaceous plants 
from the United States were planted for the purpose of observation. 
The following eventually became infested in greater or lesser degree : 
Hibiscus coccineus Walt., H. militaris Cav., Kosteletzkya virginica 
L.. Hibiscus syriacus* and Mai vast ru?n americanum (L). 
Several experiments were performed to determine whether the 
pink bollworm could live over from year to year when supplied with 
any of these alternative food plants. Special attention was paid to 
okra. In no case did the insect live under such conditions. This 
result appears to have been due primarily to the fact that the seed 
pods of okra and related plants crack open on drying, so that the 
larvae webbed up in them drop to the ground and become subject to 
the influence of moisture and the attacks of enemies. It is more 
than likely, however, that under some conditions the insect may be 
able to perpetuate itself on these plants. 
In Texas and Louisiana, where noncotton zones have been main- 
tained for the purpose of stamping out the pink bollworm, the 
