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more or less curved, legless, and sparsely covered with hair. It consists 
of 12 much- folded segments, which are interrupted by two sublateral longi- 
tudinal grooves running the length of the body. The dorsal portions of the 
segments are bulging; the ventral portions are flat. On the sides, above 
the longitudinal separating grooves, small spiracles are present on all 
segments except the second, third, and twelfth (last). 
Feeding habits of t he larvae and t he injury they cause . — The principal 
damage is caused by the larvae feeding on the roots of the young plants in 
the spring. The lower part of the stem and taproot are chewed away, but 
apparently the smaller lateral roots are not damaged to any appreciable 
extent. In many instances the larvae burrow into large seeds and devour the 
contents before the young plants have had sufficient time to appear above 
the ground. 
On most plants such as cotton, velvetbeans, peanuts, field peas, and 
sweetpotatoes the larvae consume the fleshy portion of the underground stem 
and taproot, usually leaving the tougher central portion. Only occasionally 
is the stem or root completely severed and then only in the case of young 
plants. On larger plants the larvae may feed on one side of the root for 
several inches. 
The feeding on corn and sugarcane is somewhat different from that 
on other plants. On these plants the larva cuts a small hole one- fourth to 
one-half inch in diameter into the main stem, usually burrowing one-fourth 
to one-half inch into the stem, but rarely tunneling along the root for any 
great distance. 
The major portion of the feeding on roots during the spring extends 
from the surface of the ground to a depth of 6 inches. Where the feeding 
is severe the plants turn yellow, wilt, and die. Where only a small section 
of the cambium layer is eaten away the plants survive but produce very little 
or no crop. 
The larvae are very general feeders and caused serious injury to 
field and garden crops in the Florala area during 1937 and 1938. The 
infestations are still localized on many farms, but the yields were mate- 
rially reduced in many fields. In some fields as high as 90 percent of 
the plants were killed in areas ranging from a few square yards to as much 
as 10 acres. In many instances, after the larvae had destroyed the stand, 
the fields were replanted and the larvae then destroyed the second planting. 
In heavily infested spots the larvae not only killed the cultivated crops 
but also the grass and weeds. Late in June and early in July these spots 
were barren and could easily be detected at great distances (figs. 2 and 3). 
After the greater number of the larvae matured and emerged as adults, a 
heavy growth of grass developed on the former barren areas. 
The larval injury to peanuts occurs at two distinct periods. At 
planting time and shortly thereafter the larvae feed on the planted seed 
and on the roots of the young plants, thereby damaging the stand. The 
