17 
FOOD PLANTS. 
Throughout its range a great variety of plants belonging to many 
different natural orders are known to furnish subsistence to the boll- 
worm. On some of these, as various weeds, its occurrence is more or 
less accidental, due to the indiscriminate habits of the moth in egg lay- 
ing, the food being plainly not suitable for the best growth and devel- 
opment of the larva. In the case of many vegetables and ornamental 
and fruit plants, however, these are fed upon with evident relish, and 
the larvae are able to develop normally. Reports of occasional severe 
injury to plants of this character may be held to indicate the capabili- 
ties of the species, under favorable conditions, for depredations in the 
future. With a species of such general feeding habits severe local 
injury, in the absence of its preferred food plants, might reasonably 
be expected to occur to some of the numerous other crops which it is 
known to attack. 
Manj^ of the plants mentioned in the subjoined table are, in foreign 
countries, seriously ravaged b}^ this pest. Important injury in the 
United States is confined principally to cotton, corn, tomatoes, and 
tobacco, concerning which a more detailed account will be given on 
another page. 
Table I. — Food plants of Heliothis obsoleta. 
Food plants. 
Parts injured. 
Reported from. 
Convolvulacege: 
Morning glory {Ipomcea comrau- 
tata). 
Bind weed {Ipomosa sp.). . .. 
United States. 
Foliage 
Do. 
Chenopodiacese: 
Pigweed ( Chenopodium sp. ) 
Amarantacese: 
Amaranth { Amarantus spp. ) 
Labiatse: 
Do. 
Green seeds 
Do. 
do 
United States (south Texas). 
United States. 
Do. 
Cucurbitacese: 
Squash {Cucurbita pepo, var. con- 
densa). 
Pumpkin ( Cucurbita pepo) 
Vines, flowers, young fruit 
Cucumber ( Cticumis sativa) 
Muskmelon ( Cucumis rnelo) 
Vines fruit. 
•Do. 
Do. 
do 
Do. 
Composita?: 
Cocklebur (Xcmthium struviariam) 
Foliage stems 
Do 
Sunflower (Helianthus sp. ) 
United States, India. 
do 
United States. 
Dahlia {Dahlia sp. ) 
(•?) 
Cape Colony. 
United States. 
Cannacese: 
Ganna ( Canna indica) 
Tender central bud; seed cap- 
sules. 
Squares, bolls, flowers, stems, 
foliage. 
Malvaceae: 
Cotton ( Gossypium spp. ) 
Okra {Hibiscus esculentus) 
Southern United States, 
India (?). 
United States. 
Do 
Sida spp 
do 
Do 
Hibiscus sp . . . 
Cape Colony. 
United States, Porto Kico. 
Graminse: 
Indian c )rn {Zea mays) 
Tender "bud," tassel, ears 
Tender central "bud," green 
seeds. 
Sorghum ' ''iu}t vulgaris, var. 
sacchar. 
Brazil, Australia, Europe, 
Cape Colony. 
United States, Natal. 
