34 BULLETIN 918, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
large screen cages were constructed over heavily infested okra in the 
fall of 1918. The entire plants with the fruits attached were left in 
the cages during the summer of 1919. Repeated examainations were 
made of all fruits formed during 1919 and no infestation ever devel- 
oped from the hibernating larva?. The protection afforded by the 
okra is not as good as the protection afforded by cotton. The seed 
pods crack open on drying and the seeds with the larva? webbed up 
in them drop to the ground, the larva? becoming subject to the detri- 
mental effects of water and attacks of insect enemies. 
Under the same conditions hollyhock (Althaea rosea), a very com- 
mon ornamental flower, was found to be subject to the attack of the 
pink bollworm larva?, the insects being found in the buds, flowers, 
and seed pods. 
Hibernating cages were also constructed over hollyhock plants 
and experiments conducted in the same manner as with okra with 
negative results. No reinfestation occurred from hibernating larva?. 
The flower buds, flowers, and seed pods of Hibiscus syriacus were 
attacked by the pink bollworm, the manner of attack and feeding 
habits being the same as in cotton and okra. The infestation in the 
flower buds was light, but the seed pods were nearly all infested and 
some contained several larva?. 
One pink bollworm larva was taken from a seed pod of the Con- 
federate rose (Hibiscus mutabilis) . 
Seeds from 25 species of malvaceous plants were collected in 
southern Texas and planted in close proximity to cotton at Ciudad 
Lerdo. Of this number only the following species grew : Hibiscus cocci- 
neus Walt., Hibiscus militaris Cav., Hibiscus lasiocarpus Cav., Mal- 
vastrum americanum (L.) Terr., Sida spinosa L., Wissadula hzani 
(Rose) Fries, and Kosteletzkya virginica L. Some of these have small 
seed pods and are not well adapted to the feeding habits of the larva?, 
but the following species were attacked by pink bollworms. 
Only one plant of Hibiscus coccineus grew. It developed 7 seed- 
pods and 5 of these were infested. 
Hibiscus militaris was attacked both in the flowers and seed pods. 
The same rosette appearance takes place in the infested flower as in 
upland cotton. 
Kosteletzkya virginica was also attacked. The plant is a very pro- 
fuse bloomer, but the seed pods are rather small to be well adapted 
for the larva?, though two full-grown larva? were found in seed pods. 
Malvastrum americanum was infested. One specimen was taken 
in a seed pod. 
A species of Malva ( Malva parvijlora L. ?) grows rather abundantly 
along the borders of the fields in the Laguna, but was never found 
to be infested under natural conditions. The seed pods are too small 
to be well adapted for pink bollworms, though larva? can reach ma- 
turity in a single pod. 
