1 . The Root Web Worm. 
(Crambus zeellus, Fernald.) 
Order Lepidoptera. Family Crambid^:. 
(Plate I. Figs. 1-3.) 
The discovery of an insect new both to science and to agricul¬ 
tural entomology, and capable of serious injury to the most im¬ 
portant crop of the State of Illinois, is, fortunately, at this date an 
unusual event, so thoroughly, of late years, has the ground been 
scanned; and yet, long as is the list of insect enemies of Indian 
corn, we have no reason to suppose that it is yet complete. 
The balance of animal life is continually shifting, even in old and 
long-settled countries, species formerly rare or unknown coming to 
the front, and others formerly abundant and perhaps destructive, 
retiring temporarily from view. Not only do insects of other regions 
invade our own territory, but a peculiar collocation of circumstances 
often favors the undue multiplication of some one or more of our 
native species, with the result to convert an insect harmless from 
its rarity, into a very serious obstacle to the success of agriculture; 
and it is to be noted that having once reached this dangerous 
prominence, it is a rare thing for an insect to permanently lose its 
hold on the agricultural products of the country. 
In respect to the species treated in this article, we may at least 
congratulate ourselves that it has been detected early in its career, 
before it has reached really dangerous numbers, and prompt and 
thorough study of its economy and of its life history may give us 
the means of controlling it before it can do serious mischief. 
On the 7th June, 1883, my assistant, Mr. Webster, who had been 
detailed to study the work of the black-headed grass maggot in 
corn fields*, brought to the office some supposed cutworms—bristly 
reddish larvae, which he had found gnawing the roots of corn below 
the surface, in fields in McLean county, on both old and new 
ground. 
They were not seen again during this season, but on the 19th 
May of the present year I received the same species from Mr. E. 
A. Gastman, superintendent of public schools at Decatur, with the 
* See 13th Report of the State Entomologist of Illinois, pp. 57-59. 
