attacks of the insects. Indeed, during July, I found many roots of I 
corn burrowed lengthwise by nearly full-grown larvae, but never- 
theless not killed by this violence. 
The adult was first seen by us this year, July 21, at which time 
pupae and full-grown larvae, together with others not matured, were 
abundant in the earth. Eggs were again found in the earth about j 
standing corn stalks in October of this year, dead adults occurr¬ 
ing at the same time under leaves and in the ground. 
The damage inflicted by this insect has in some cases within my 
observation amounted during the last year to a nearly total loss of 
the crop, one farmer reporting a rapid falling off in the yield 
from sixty bushels to six per acre, owing evidently to the ravages 
of this insect only. 
In extreme Northern Illinois, I detected, in July, the notorious 
WHEAT midge, (probably the most destructive of wheat insects), in 
fields of spring wheat then just ready for harvest. Considerable 
damage had been done to here and there a field in that vicinity. 
The importance of a general knowledge of the characters and hab¬ 
its of this most destructive pest is so great, that I have prepared a 
brief synopsis of the essential facts relating to it for this Keport. 
In autumn, in fields of fall wheat, occurred a sudden irruption j 
of a caterpillar which had not attracted attention in Illinois I 
for more than a dozen years. This species, almost universally 
mistaken by farmers for the army worm, was the grass worm, 
(Laphygma frugiperda), sometimes called also the fall army worm. 
It ate to the ground large tracts of winter wheat, and where these 
areas were not resown, the ground still remains bare. The lam 
went into the earth in October, and most of them are passing the 
winter in the pupa stage. 
The wheat straw worm (lsosomci tritici) still remains a growing 
evil where winter wheat is raised, and an additional species of very 
similar habit, called the greater wheat straw worm ( Isosoma 
grande), was discovered by us this year in Central and Eastern 
Illinois. 
The wheat bulb worm, an outbreak of which occurred two years 
ago in Fulton county, has not been found seriously injurious since, 
except in a field of rye this fall, in central McLean county. This 
grain was sown in July as pasture for stock,—a fact which coniirms 
my former supposition with respect to the injurious effect of early 
sowing, where injury by this insect is to be anticipated. 
A new enemy to corn (the root web worm) which I first 
detected last year, was not bred to the imago until the present 
season. In abundance where occurring, and magnitude of its 
injuries, it promises to become one of the most important pests of 
the corn grower. An article upon this insect is published upon another 
page. 
The imported cabbage worm (Pieris raped), although still notably 
injurious, has been clearly less so this year than for several years 
preceding, owing unmistakably to the general prevalence and extreme 
destructiveness of the cabbage-worm disease mentioned in the intro- 
