-6.39- 
During August bollworms were more abundant than usual in Georgia, Florida, 
Alabama, Mississippi, and Arizona end caused serious damage in scattered fields 
in many counties in those States. Although the worms were reported from many 
parts of Texa e and caused serious damage in some fields, they did not cause great 
losses over large areas, as in some years. During September the worms were re- 
ported from Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas, but in reduced numbers as compared 
to July and August. (R. W. Horned, Bureau of Jint omology and Plant Quarantine, 
•U. S. D. A.) 
THE COTTON LEAF WORM 
During 1939 , the cotton leaf worm was less abundant and caused less damage 
than usual. It .was first reported in the United States from Cameron County, Tex., 
on May 4 when a three-f ourths-grown worm was collected at San Benito. The first 
leaf worms in Calhoun County, Tex. , were observed on May 17 when two wore taken 
from cotton 7 miles west of Port Lavaca, (in 1938 the first loaf worms recorded 
from the United States ’"ere taken in Calhoun County on May 2 , the earliest record 
in this country since 1922 .,) The leaf worm population increased slowly and the 
moths did not spread as rapidly as in some years. After May 17 no leaf worms 
were reported from Calhoun County until one was observed on June 9 and several 
on June. 22 , On June 29 ’ leaf worms' about two- thirds grown were reported from the 
Brazos Bottoms near College Station, Tax. By July 19 they were beginning to 
appear in injurious numbers in several counties of central Texas, along the 
Brazos River, and it ’’as reported that control measures were being applied in 
Nueces, Fort Bend, and Brazos Counties, Although leaf worms were reported in 
small numbers from other counties, they wore less numerous than usual in Texas 
during June, July, 'and August. They were, 'however, reported by August 9 from 
Kaufman "County in northern Texas, Runnels 'County in west-central Texas, and at 
Presidio in the Big Bend. On August lo severe ragging of cotton plants was re- 
ported in the Coar tal 'Bend .area, and control measures w-’-re being used generally 
in the Upper Coastal area and as far north as McLennan County. By August 19 most 
of the cotton in Calhoun County had been defoliated, e-xcept the fields that had 
oeen protected by poison. At Presidio in the Big Bend, only slight defoliation 
was reported. On August 26 the 1 af worms were numerous in late-planted cotton 
in McLennan, Falls, and Limestone Counties, but the damage was not very serious 
as most of : the cotton had been planted early. By September 2 , nearly all late- 
planted cotton in these three counties was infested. By August 30 the worms were 
reported in Dickens County, northwestern Texas, and in Crosby, Lubbock, and Lynn 
Counties, 1 on the Southern Plains. By September • 9» most of the cottonfields in 
Presidio County had been- stripped -by- the worms. 
In 1939 the cotton loaf worm moths apparently entered this country through 
Florida, as "’oil as Texas, as that was the second State from which they were re- 
ported. Heavy infestations were reported from S off her in Hillsborough' County on 
July 8, .and from Trenton in Gilchrist County, Fla. On July 15 they "'ere observed 
in Putnam and Union, Counties and ’"ere causing damage in Gilchrist County, On 
August 12 they were reported as occurring in small numbers in Alachua, Union, 
Marion j and - Lake Counties but seemed to be held in” check by some natural control. 
The Georgia infestation apparently came from Florida, but the worms were not re- 
ported from Georgia until August 25 -hen a few were found in Echols County, near 
the Florida State line. 
The moths probably spread from Texas into Louisiana. From that State the 
first loaf worm, a fourth- ins tar larva, was reported from Tallulah, Madison Par- 
ish, La., on July 16 and by August 23 the worms were abundant in some localities 
