PREFACE 
The corn bill bug lias long been recognized as one of the important 
insect enemies of corn in this State. Farmers generally are fairly 
well acquainted with its ravages, although, needless to say, it is not 
unusual to find the work of this insect confused with the work of other 
insects which injure the same parts of the plant. 
Recognizing the importance of this pest and appreciating the lack 
of definite knowledge of this insect, Mr. R. I. Smith, then Entomologist 
of this Station, began an investigation of the corn bill bug in June, 
1910, under an Adams Fund Project, entitled “A Biologic Study of 
the Species of the Genus Sphenophorus in North Carolina.” Mr. 
Smith continued the investigation of this insect until he severed his 
connection with the Station in the fall of 1911. A report of Mr. 
Smith’s investigations may be found in the Thirty-fifth Annual Report 
of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station for the year 
ending June 30, 1912, pages 105 to 135. 
The writer took up active work on the corn bill bug project when 
he was appointed Entomologist in the spring of 1912, and continued 
working actively on this project until the fall of 1915. Needless to 
say, the writer lias drawn extensively upon Mr. Smith’s paper in writ¬ 
ing this bulletin, as Mr. Smith’s work and the writer’s have formed 
separate parts of one project. Mr. Smith’s work was done largely in 
the laboratory and insectary. The writer’s has been about equally 
divided between the laboratory and the field. Our results do not 
always coincide perfectly, due, perhaps, as much to methods and angle 
of approach as to any factor. Certainly, where conflicting reports 
are found it will be discovered on inspection that they are well within 
the probable error for such results. 
This investigation has covered in all about five years, and while 
there are some phases of the question that are still undecided, it is 
thought that the investigation has reached such a stage that a report 
upon the biologic and economic aspects of the investigation is entirely 
justified, leaving a discussion of the other phases of the problem until 
another time. 
