UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
j>v#"^£r<~ 
BULLETIN No. 746 
Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 
L. O. HOWARD, Chief 
Washington, D. C. 
PROFESSIONAL PAPER 
April 18, 1919 
THE SUGAR-CANE MOTH BORER. 1 
By T. E. Holloway and U. C. Loftin, 2 
Entomological Assistants, Southern Field-Crop Insect Investigations. 
With Technical Descriptions by Carl Heinrich. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introduction — 1 
Character of injury to sugar cane 2 
Estimate of losses 2 
History 7 
Distribution 9 
Species of Diatraea 10 
Food plants 12 
Summary of life cycle 12 
Page. 
Description of stages in life cycle 12 
Insectary methods 18 
Life history 19 
Seasonal history 28 
Natural control 35 
Repression 42 
Recommendations , 62 
Bibliography 63 
INTRODUCTION. 
For the information of those who are not familiar with sugar cane, 
especially as grown in the United States, it may be said that the 
plant is a giant grass known botanically as Saceharum officinarum 
1 Diatraea saccharalis cramMdoides Grote ; order Lepidoptera, family Pyralidae. 
2 The writers acknowledge their indebtedness to Dr. W. D. Hunter for his interest and 
direction, and for the suggestions of Dr. W. Dwight Pierce and Mr. D. L. Van Dine, 
of the Bureau of Entomology. The tables and charts for life history were made under 
Dr. Pierce's supervision. The active cooperation of the Louisiana Sugar Experiment 
Station at Audubon Park, New Orleans, has been of the highest value, credit especially 
being due to Mr. W. G. Taggart, assistant director, for his suggestions concerning the 
practical application of methods of control. Mr. S. G. Chiquelin, the former assistant 
director, cooperated in the work and later made valuable suggestions concerning locali- 
ties in Cuba where parasites could be obtained. Laboratory space was furnished gratis 
by the Louisiana Experiment Station, and the writers thank Prof. W. R. Dodson, director, 
for his many courtesies. 
For the technical descriptions of the larva and pupa stages of the insect, the writers 
thank Mr. Carl Heinrich, of the Bureau of Entomology. 
The writers have had the assistance in field and laboratory work of Mr. Ernest R. 
Barber and others. Valuable cooperation was maintained with Mr. George N. Wolcott, 
formerly entomologist of the Insular Experiment Station of Porto Rico and later for a 
short time connected with this investigation. Prof. J. T. Crawley, formerly director, and 
Prof. P. P. Cardin, entomologist, of the Cuba Experiment Station at Santiago de las Vegas, 
have been of material assistance in connection with the introduction of the parasitic flies 
from Cuba. Mr. Edward Foster, of the office of the State entomologist of Louisiana, has 
assisted with bibliographical and other information. 
The drawings were made by Mr. Harry Bradford, of the Bureau of Entomology. 
83363°— 19— Bull. 746 1 
