CIHM Microfiche Series (■Monographs) ICIMH Collection de microfiches (monographies) Canadian Institute for Historical MIcroraproductions / Institut Canadian da microraproductions historiquas 1 Technical and Bibliographic Notes / Notes techniques et bibllographlques The institute has attempted to obtain the t)est originai copy available for fiiming. Features of this copy which nwy be bibliographicaliy unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming are checked below. n n D D D D D D D D Coloured covers / Couverture de couleur Covers damaged / Couverture endommagte Covers restored and/or laminated / Couverture restaur^e et/ou pellicula Cover title missing / Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps / Cartes g^ographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black) / Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations / Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material / Reiid avec d'autres documents Only edition available / Seule Edition disponible Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin / L^ reliure serrde peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long de la marge int^rieure. Blank leaves added during restorations may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming / Use peut que certaines pages blanches ajout^es lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texts, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6\6 filmdes. Additional comments / Commentalres suppl^mentaires: L'Institut a microfilm^ le meiileur exemplaire qu'il lui a M possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exem- plaire qui sont peut-dtre unkjues du point de vue bibli- ographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduce, ou qui peuvent exiger une modifk»tion dans la m«tho- de nomiale de filmage sont indk^u^s ci-dessous. I I Cokjured pages/ Pages de couleur I I Pages damaged / Pages endomnwgdes □ Pages restored and/or laminated / Pages restaurtes et/ou peiltoul^s r~7 Pages discoloured, stained or foxed / l^ Pages dteoiordes, tachetdes ou pk^utes I I Pages detached / Pages d^tachtes l/J Showthrough/ Transparence □ Quality of print varies / Quaiitd indgate de I'impression Includes supplementary material / Comprend du materiel suppl6mentaire Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been ref limed to ensure the best possible image / Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6X6 filmdes k nouveau de fagon h obtenir la meilleure image possible. Opposing pages with varying colouration or discolourations are filmed twk» to ensure the best possible image / Les pages s'opposant ayant des colorations variables ou des decolorations sont filmtes deux fois afin d'obtenir la meilleure image possible. D D D Thia Kam Is fllnMd M tlw raduction ratio dwdwd balow / C« documwit Mt film* lu taux da rMuction indiqu* ei-dasaoua. lOx 14x 18x 22x 26x 30x ; 12x 16x 20x 24x aax 3»v Th« eepy f!lm«d hmn has bMit raproduead thanka to tha ganaroaity of: Ubrary AflriauHura Canada L'axamplaira fllm4 fut raproduit griea * la 9«nareait* da: BiMkrtMqiM Aflrieuhura Canada quality lagibility tha Tha imagaa appaarfng hara ara tha poaaMta conaidaring tha condition of tha originai eopy and in Itaaping filming eontraet apacificatlona. Original coplaa In printad papar covara ara fHmad baginning with ttia front eovar and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or iiluatratad Impraa- aion. or tita baelc covar whan appropriata. All ethar original eopiaa ara flimad baginning on tha firat paga with a printad or iiluatratad impraa- aion. and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or iiluatratad impraaaion. Tha laat racordad frama on aach microfieha ahall contain tha aymbol ^» (moaning "CON- TINUEO"). or tho aymbol ▼ (moaning "END"), whiehavar appliaa. IMapa. plataa. eharta. ate., may ba fNmad at diffarant raduction ratioa. Thoaa toe large to ba antiraly ineiuded In one axpoaura ara filmed beginning in the upper left hand comer, left to right and top to bottom, aa many framea aa required. The following diagrama illuatrate the method: l.aa Imagaa auivantaa ont «t« raproduitea avae la plua grand aoin. compta tanu do la condition at do la nettat* da I'axampiaire film«, at an eonformitd avae lea eonditiona du contrat da filmege. I.aa axemplairee originaux dont la couvertura an papier aat Imprimde aont filmaa ^n eommanpant par la premier plat at an tarminant soit par la damiare page qui comperte une amprainta dlmpraeaion ou dllluatration. soit par la second plat, salon la earn. Toua lea autraa axampiairaa originaux sent filmaa an comman^nt par la pramlAre paga qui eomporta une amprainta dimpraaaion ou dllluatration at an tarminant par la damlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un dee aymbolea suivanta apparaitra sur la demMre image do cheque microfiche, seion le caa: la symbole — » signifie "A SUiVRE", le symbele ▼ signifie "RN". L^e cartaa. pianchea. tableeux. ate., peuvent «tre fRmaa A dee taux do rMuetion diff«rents. l-oraqua le document aat trop grand pour Atra raproduit an un saui diehd. ii aat fiimd A partir do I'angie supdrieur gauche, do gauche k droite. et do heut an baa. an pranant la nombre dimegee ndeeeaaira. Lea diagrammea suivanta illuatrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 MKMCOrV HMUmON TIST CHAtT (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) lit 1m u » 1. !£■ 122 i il I il 1.8 1.6 A /APPLIED IN/MGE Inc 1653 East Uoin StrMt Rochester, tfm York 14609 USA (716) 462 - 0300 - Phone (716) 2S8- 5989 -Fox DOMINION OF CANADA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ENTOMOLOGICAL BRANCH C. OoaooM HiwiTT, DoMiMioK EnimtoLoatn. BORING CATERPILLARS AFFECTING CORN AND OTHER CROPS AND WHICH ARE LIABLE TO BE MISTAKEN FOR THE EUROPEAN CORN BORER ARTHUR GIBSON Chief, Division of Field Crop and Garden Insects CIRCULAR No. 14 [TECHNICAL] Published by direction of the Hon. S. F. Tolmie. Minister of Agricultura, Ottawa, Canada 632.70^1 C212 OTTAWA J. m LJ> tOQl'ERIE TACHfi PRINTER TO THE KIN; S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY 1920 iHued April 9, 1920. lAiE SHALL BE PLEASED to hwir from anyone concerning damage or tVouble of any kind due to intect pests. No postage is required on any such letteis of enquiry when addressed : DOMINION ENTOMOLOGIST, Department of Agriculture, OTTAWA, ONT. Such enquiries should be accompanied in all cases where it is possible by specimens of the insects. The insects should be sent packed with their food plant in a strong wooden or tin box to prevent loss in transit. Packages up to 12 ouncos in weight may be mailed free and every package should boar or contain the sender's name and address and bp accompanied by a letter. To the Honi)urul)l)> Thr Minii«tr of the caterpillars are of economic importance, anci in order to have available information concerning them, this circular has been prepared for distribution as occasion may demand, and for the purpose of enabling agricultural workers and others to distinguish between the various species of caterpillars which may be found boring in corn and other croj <. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient s<>rvant, C. CORDON HKWITT, Dominion Entomologist. 77237— U WARNING THE EUROPEAN CORN DORER TM pMl HlMteCMI. WrtTNS, tm. raNU «M MMU CMPt M4lMrM«MiylMlMMil««tolMMtMM IKK B (UVE MWaKTlilHMOtlWWKWWi WW ■"»"«"■ HOW TO RECOGNIZE rr lolM in th« malkM ci tb* ciwdpat'Uk* mittrlil iara- ing from dMoa iadlart* th« pn>aanofdMbonror piltar. I0 tht cm of . brokaa MSMla tlto show Winn dM bonr Ib at work. Uth* lahmi •MM wn •pUt op«i tbt eatcrpillara will Im found at work. «• oft*n found just •Imv* tlM roots. The iuMct spends the wintar ss a cstarpiikr in old ■talks uf com or other food plants and changas to a xeddi8li4wown pupa lata in the spring. Tba pupa soon turns into s moth. Ifh. M aarasaa ara arasslli ra^aaatad ts ksap a asastaat iaakaat fsr tMs awat damraaa aaat aad ta rapart taaaadtalaiy sH saspMaas assas. Mastad rfaats tsfaUisr witk tha laasato tiiaaMalvas slMaia hs forwardsd ta thaMMIIM nmOLOMST. DVT. OT AMNCULTUK. OTTiWH. OIT. Paaksgas awlsr twahra aaaaas la walgirt aiay ha saat fraa ofpastags. r— iinmn Boring Caterpillars Affecting Corn and other Crops and which are Liable to be Mistaken for the European Corn Borer. By Akthi.h Gihhox, Chief, Pivision of Fielil Crop and Garden Inserts. IXTUODICTOUY. Tlicn- art' a nuniluT of ilifferi'nt kinds of caterpillars which iMirc into ami work insidv of the Htcmn of plants and which in 1911) attracted more than usual attention in view of the warning jHwter relating to the F^uro|M-an corn l>orer, Pifrtnmtn niibilaliH Hlin., which |H(ster was distributed widely l>y the KntoinoloKical Branch in May last. Injury liy these horing caterpillars is usually confined to a limited number of plants, hut occasionally the infestation is of a serious nature. Their presence may usually be detected by the unhealthy app«'arance of the plants, the toj)s of which in most instances bei mie withered and fall down at one side. THK KIHOPKAN COHX BOHKH, PyrnuMn ntibilalix Hbn. The name European corn borer has been applied ininately v farmers and gardeners generally to the various kinds of lutring caterpii irs discussed in this circular. The European corn borer, however, is nd Penn.sylvania, the Dominion Department of Agri- culture established, on May 2t), 1919, a «|uarantine against the infested states, which quarantine prohibits the importation of corn on the col), corn stalks, pp cing, green sweet corn, etc. Inspectors have traced shii)ments of com from the affected districts imported into Canada during the past two years, ("ertain sections of outhem Ontario adjacent to infested districts in northern New York State, hay been examined in an endeavour to find out if this notorious jwst had been introduced. We are glad to state that so far the European corn borer has not been found in ( "anada. In acldition to wrn, the cittirpillarM rPMiily U'n\ on mHny «th«T pUntu »*inh •« wliTV, »M'iin, iHH't, npinarh, p«itHtu, tomato, turnip, rliuUrh, duhlin, «hryi«n- thfRiunii, Rlutlioluit, raRweiMl, hunlork, plgwi«Ml, rtc. All part* of rom, whlrh In th«' m Uin-r iwrtially or totally dwitroyn. D. J. ('affn«y' (•tati-n that th. Um-n Rfni>rally pnt«'r thf ptalk at thi- upp lack of normal ^rain formation on th«> earn. After deNtroyinR the taiwel the Inirerx tunml «lownward through the Ktalk, Kradually in«-reaninE the itiie of their tunneU aw they develop. The plate herewith well illuMtrateii tlie damaRe rauM>d by thin Iwrer. When mature the European rom Ijorer Ih alniut one inrh lonR. It in of n liRht hrownidh or fle»»h rolour, mime MiierimenH i)eing tlarker than other*. The head in dark hrowu. the thoraeie shield jmler Itrown, a* are aluo the tul)erele(i on the iKxiy. Mr. Carl Heinrirh, of the V. S. Hnreau cif RntomoloRy, ha* recently puW- linhed* a piiwr on the Kurop^-an rorn Iwrer, Pyrau»ta nubilalin, and it* neure*t American allie*, nameh I'yranMa ninaliei and PyrnuHta jtenitnlia. I^irvul unpHuk> of the wva B. Dornal view of the hc»d r»p«ul<' of the larva (After Heinrirh). the former in the Unite*! State* ha* been "frequently fountl in corn a*«ociated v.ith P. nubilalis for which it* larva is ea*ily mi*taken". Thi* latter fact is strongly empha.sized by the statement made by Mr. Heinrich, namely: "There seem* to be only one reliable character— (to separate P. ainnHei from P. nuhilaliK) namely, the arrangement of the »et» and puncture of the anterior epicranial group. In P. nuhHalx, A' is approximate to A', and A', A', unn>r i*, on the wh, thr »n«> whirh \n miHit fn-iiuriitly I'linipUiiifMl of ■H B ipirn ptmt, nmi (lurinn lUItt wm* thr rnliTpillnr whirh wuh mmtt ortfii mmU to tin A* MitR poMtibly th«> Kuro|N>iin corn tHifi>r. It i^ n Ki>n«>rttl ftHnipr nn«l althoURh found commoT!' in cHHtcm ('anmla in tiu' Mvtwt of biiniiM-k, owiiiK to whirh wi' Kiivi> it thi common name of thi* huniiM'k iMtn-r, it liy no nii'iuiH Vtu. t 'fh* Httnlork Hufpr, /'kpai/M'iiM raf«fi*nN-to (irt ; natunl •iai>. lUriKiMl) ronfinei* itn nttention to imt ninnt, Iwing founil in ii gn-iil vuri«'ty of pluntH havinK nucfulent otemK. In the Ottawa tliHtrict. in uildition to l»ur thp larvip wprp tt()ppially abundant at Ottawa, purtipulurly in burdork. i I i: nlNiut an hour'** time, wp pollppt«'d nparly fifty i*iK>pimpnH. Kio. 3. Stem o( larkxpur destroyed by the HurdiM-k Burer. (Oriinnnl). The burdock borer when mature is about 1} inches in lenRtii. In ueneir ., it is a smooth, cylindrical, pale-brownish caterpillar with a whitish dorsal str' e and a lateral band of the ? me colour, l)oth continuous, the latter al>out t\ .ce the width of the former. The tubercles on the body are dark brown and on some 8 specimens conspicuous. The head is shiny, yellowish-brown, with a wide dark brown or blackish band running from the ocelli to back of head. This band when the segments are drawn together joins the blackish lower margin of the thoracic shield. Thoracic shield, otherwise, similar in colour to the head. In the earlier stages the ground colour of the larva is much darker, the pale longi- tudinal markings consequently being more contrasting. Some adult examples are almost wholly creamy-white in colour, with inconspicuous markings. Injury by this borer, in some years, is observable in the middle of June. More often, however, the work of the larva is not detected until July during which month, as well as in early August, the withered tops of infested plants may be apparent in gardens or fields. As a rule, only one larva is found in the same plant. In the case of the burdock, however, two or even more, larvae may be present. In cultivated plants, one individual, of course, is capable of cau!«ing the plant to wilt and die. This is especially so when young com is attacked. When the larva is full grown it usually pupates in the stem where it has been feeding. In 1904, a pupa was found exposed V)ut attached to an outside leaf of an iris plant, about two inches from the ground. The moth emerged on September 4. The pupal stage of specimens collected in the Ottawa district ranged from 30 to 39 days. THE STALK BORER, Papaipema nitela Gn. This well known borer which is some years seriously abundant in Illinois and other northern states, has not been responsible for important losses in Canada. In 1905, the larvse were present in Kent county, western Ontario, and caused some injury in corn fields. In addition to corn, the borer was found in potatoes, tomatoes, Canada thistle, elder, lamb's quarters, garden beans, rag- weed, pigweed, sweet clover, as well as in the stems of flowerinji plants in gardens. In 1912, Mr. H. F. Hudson, found a borer in corn at St. Ives, Ont. Unfortu- nately no adult moths were reared by Mr. Hudson but it was assumed that the species was P. nitela. From material received from Fargo, Ont., in 1905, the adult was reared on September 6, the larva, in confinment having left the food plant and entered the earth for pupation on August 2. The stalk borer when mature is about 1 H ipches in length. It is, in general? very similar to the burdock borer. Usually it may be separated by the fact that the reddish-brown stigmatal band is absent on the first four abdominal segments. Like the burdock borer, too, it generally changes to the pupal state in the stem in which it has been feeding. THE POTATO-STEM BORER, Gortyna micacea Esp. This European insect has, of recent years, developed into a pest of some importance. Since it was first recorded in Canada in 1908, it has spread con- siderably, particularly within the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. While it is known to have caused important damage under field conditions its injuries have, as j-et, been practically confined to gardens. While the potato is a favourite food plant, the caterpillar readily bores in the stems of corn. In the Maritime Provinces it is also kno^vn to attack rhubarb, beet, tomato, pumpkin, pods of garden peas, iris, lily and dahlia. In addition, in Europe, the larva is known to tunnel in horse-tail, sedges, dock, valerian, plantain, hollyhock, etc. In Nova Scotia, in 1917, young corn plants had been destroyed by the end of the first week in July. In 1919, in the same province, similar plants had been ruined by June 26. 9 I The following description of the caterpillar was made from a specimen received from Manone, N.S., in July, 1906.' "Length, 32 mm. Head, rounded, chestnut-brown, shining, mouth parts darker. Body: a dirty creamy colour, with a pinkish tinge on dorsum, except at intersegmental folds. Thoracic shield pale brown, margined anteriorly with dark brown. Tubercles pale brown, each with a single pale hair. Tubercle iv on seventh abdominal segment is almost as large as the upper half of the spiracle, the upper edge being slightly above the upper edge of the spiracle. Spiracles black. Anal shield blackish. Dorsal vessel distinct. No markings whatever on the body. Feet all pale. ' ' The decided pinkish or rosy tinge of the upperside of this borer is charac- teristic, and in this differs from any of the other borers discussed in this circular. t Fig. 4. Young corn plants destroyed by the Potato- stem Borer, d'orlyna micaaa Esp. (Original). The full life-history of the insect in Canada is not, as yet, known. Prof. W. H. Brittain, Entomologist, Department of Agriculture for Nova Scotia, has found the eggs at Truro, N.S. in the end of August and in Septembev on^the stems of couch grass, Agropyron repens. This grass was abundant in a rhubarb plantation the plants of which had been very seriously injured by the borer. He states* that although he only found the eggs on couch grass, they arc doubtless •Rep. Ent. Soc. Ont. 1908, 49 (1909.) •fir. 26, Prov. N.S., CoUei^ of .Xgric., Dec. 1917. 10 deposited on various we^ds. "They are very small pinkish-coloured eges, faintly ribbed, and are laid loosely, sometimes in rather large numbers on the stems partially surroundetl by the leaf sheath. The larvse hatch in June and make their way to a suitable food plant where they liore a tiny entrance hole in the stem, usually at the surface of the ground. They bore in the stem or in the crown of the plant until some time in August and then enter the ground where they transform to a pupa, emerging in late August or September as an adult moth." Since 1914, we have received many complaints of the work of the potato- stem borer, the.se referring chiefly to injury to potatoes and corn. During 1919, we recei/ed from Nova Scotia half-grown larvse in the middle of June. From then until the end of July larva from the Maritime Provinces continued to arrive, most of the specimens sent being thought to be the European com borer. In Ontario, in 1905, larvte were found an late as Augu.st 31. Running through the