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JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
[Vol. 17 
found in the ten stalks. In all 254 larvae, 139 pupae, and 69 pupal 
cases were found; an average of 46.2 larvae, pupae, and pupal cases in 
each stalk. 
In connection with Diatraea sac char alis we have recently spent some 
time in attempting to ascertain the importance of its wild food-plants 
in those sections where there has been so much complaint of injury to 
corn during the past few years. It was thought that the abundant 
growth of various grasses in these areas had some bearing on the abun¬ 
dance of the borer in corn. While the question of wild food-plants has 
been given some consideration by other investigators it was believed 
that it was well worth further study in these particular areas. Collec¬ 
tions of larvae feeding in the stems of various grasses have been made 
and Dr. Id. G. Dyar of the U. S. Bureau of Entomology has kindly 
identified the moths that have issued. Adults of Diatraea saccharahs 
have been reared from larvae taken from the stems of the following 
grasses:— Panicum barbinode, Paspalum larrahagae, Panicum gymno- 
carpon , Panicum dichotomiflorum , Holcus halepensis, and Andropogon 
glomeratus. The first two species were determined by Miss Agnes Chase 
of the U. S. Bureau of Plant Industry and the others by Dr. C. W, 
Edgerton of the Louisiana Experiment Stations. Some of these grasses 
do not appear to have been heretofore recorded as food-plants of Dia¬ 
traea saccharalis . 
Larvae were common in the stems of a small patch of Para grass. 
Panicum barbinode, at Baton Rouge on October 11, 1922; 25 being 
taken by one collector in 40 minutes. They were found in the stems of 
the same patch of grass when examinations were made on November 24, 
1922, and on January 13 and March 24, 1923, but by the latter date had 
become scarce and only 2 larvae and 2 pupae were found in 40 minutes. 
Pupae were found on January 13 and the finding of empty pupal cases on 
March 24 indicated that moths had issued during the winter. The 
winter was mild and the grass remained green until frosted in early 
February. While we are not positive that all the larvae and pupae ob¬ 
served in this patch of grass were of Diatraea saccharalis , there seems 
little doubt of this, since all of 35 moths reared from larvae and pupae 
collected on the above mentioned dates have been identified by Doctor 
Dyar as belonging to this species. 
Larvae of Diatraea saccharalis were common in patches of Panicum 
gymnocarpon and Panicum dichotomiflorum at Baton Rouge during 
October, 1922, and were taken from Johnson grass, Holcus halepensis , 
on November 8. From collections of larvae taken from stalks of broom 
