8 BULLETIN 539, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The soil in these plats was of a sandy nature. He further stated that 
a report was received from Boca Grande, Fla., that 2 of 18 acres of 
cowpeas liad been destroyed by this pest. Mr. R. N. Wilson, of the 
Bureau of Entomology, who was instructed to investigate this 
infestation more fully, confirmed Mr. Dozier's statement, voung 
plants being injured by the larvae boring into and upward in the 
stems, while in older plants the stems were girdled at or slightly 
below the ground. The result in both cases was that the injured 
plants wilted and died, although it was noted that in exceptional 
cases the plants, being vigorous, overcame the injury. Mr. Wilson 
further submitted a letter which had been received from Mr. Joseph 
Crews, farm demonstrator at Arcadia, Fla., stating that the '''worms" 
injured cowpeas, Japanese cane, corn, and chufa, Cowpeas wera 
damaged to some extent in the stiff black soil, but more serious 
damage was done in the sandy soil. This soil had all been well limed 
and heavily fertilized. Damage was done to Japanese cane planted 
in an old piece of land which was cleared years ago but had not been 
under cultivation for a number of years until the present. At least 
90 per cent of the crop was damaged and the crop lost about 50 per 
cent in value. 
While the increasing number of records of damage by this insect 
in the last few years is due in part to the fact that injury by it is more 
likely to be reported now than was the case years ago, it is also prob- 
able that the species is slowly mo difving its habits to correspond 
with modern methods of agriculture and that, hi the future, occasional 
outbreaks, perhaps more severe than any yet recorded, may be 
expected unless means are taken to check them in advance. 
DESCRIPTIONS. 1 
THE EGG. 
The egg (fig. 2) is ovate, circular in cross section. 0.67 mm. in length and 0.46 mm. 
in diameter; greenish white when first deposited, pinkish in from IS to 24 hours, 
an approximate Alizar crimson with a tinge of yellow at end of 
incubation period; strongly iridescent. Exochorion sculptured 
with shallow pits pentagonal to polygonal in outline. Endocho- 
rion apparently smooth. 
LARVAL INSTARS. 
First instar. — Length 1.7 mm. Head slightly bilobed, flattened, 
highly polished dark brown, width 0.23 mm. , about as high as wide; 
Pig. 2.— The lesser clypeus triangular, 0.11 mm. high. Paraclypeal pieces not percep- 
corn stalk -borer: tible, region dusky; labium pale, tips of mandibles reddish brown, 
larged (OrWnal ) not projecting; setae 0.11 mm. long; antenna? pale, moderate. Cer- 
vical shield almost straight in front, much rounded behind, one 
not quite as wide as the head. Prespiracular tubercle bears 2 setae, the upper of the 
two being the shorter; subventrical tubercle also bears 2 seta?, the cephalad one being 
1 Descriptions by senior author. Measurements of all stages made from alcoholic matenai. That given 
for the length of larva in stage 5 is a little low on account of insufficient material on hand for a better 
average. 
