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Historic, archived document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

Issued December 27, 1912.

Us: DERAK TMENT (OF AGRICULTURE,

BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY—CIRCULAR No. 166.
L. O. HOWARD, Entomologist and Chief of Bureau.

INSECTS LIABLE TO DISSEMINATION IN
, SHIPMENTS OF SUGAR CANE.

BY

ne Be LOA OMNVEACY,:

Entomological Assistant. .

66799°—12 WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1912

BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY.

L. O. Howarp, Entomologist and Chief of Bureau.
C. L. Maruatr, Entomologist and Acting Chief in Absence ef Chief.
R.S. Cuirron, Executive Assistant.
W. F. Tastet, Chief Clerk.

. CHITTENDEN, in charge of truck crop and stored product insect investigations.
. Hopxins, in charge of forest insect investigations.

. HuntTER, in charge of southern field crop insect investigations.

. WEBSTER, 7 charge of cereal and forage insect investigations.

. QUAINTANCE, tn charge of deciduous fruit insect investigations.

. Puiurps, in charge of bee culture.

D. M. RoceErs, in charge of preventing spread of moths, ee work.

Rotia P. Curriz, in charge of editorial work.

MaBEL CotcorD, in charge of library.

> af >
HOB yoo

SOUTHERN FIELD Crop INSEcT INVESTIGATIONS.
W. D. Hunter, in charge.

Wa Di oPinrer, J. a MitcHELL, G. D. Suita, E. A. McGrecor, Harry PInKwvs,
B. R. Coap, G. N. Wotcort, W. A. THomas, R. W. Moretann, C. E. Hester,
engaged in Epon boll weevil investigations.

A. C. Morcan, G. A. Runnsr, 8S. E. Crums, D. C. Parman, engaged in tobacco
insect investigation.

F. C. Bisuorpr, A. H. Jennincs, H. P. Woop, W. V. Kina, engaged in tick investigations.

T. E. Hottoway, E. R. BARBER, engaged in sugar-cane insect investigations.

J. L. WEBB, engaged in rice insect investigations.

R. A. Cootey, D. L. Van Dina, A. F. Conranvi, C. C. KrumBHAaR, collaborators.

{I

CIRCULAR No. 165. Issued December 27, 1912.

United States Department of Agriculture,
BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY.

L. O. HOWARD, Entomologist and Chief of Bureau.

INSECTS LIABLE TO DISSEMINATION IN SHIPMENTS OF
SUGAR CANE.

By T. E. Hottoway,
Entomological Assistant,

INTRODUCTION.

The danger of introducing injurious insects into the United States
through the importation of promising varieties of sugar cane is so
great and so often overlooked that a word of warning seems to be
necessary. However desirable it may be to introduce new varieties
of cane, the fact that injurious insects will probably be disseminated
at the same time should be given due consideration. There is also a
risk, though not so great, in transporting cane from one place to
another in the United States, as is often done for grinding or planting
purposes. All the sugar-cane insects in this country seem to be of
only local distribution, so that any injurious insect may easily be
spread over a larger area by shipments of cane. Sugar cane intended
for grinding is probably not so perfect a medium for transporting
insects as is cane which is to be planted, but if the cane for grinding
is left waiting for some time it is probable that the insects within may
emerge and infest standing cane near by. An injurious insect may
in this way obtain a foothold in a new region.

To avoid the introduction of a new pest with a shipment of cane
it is desirable to obtain the cane, if possible, at a point where injurious
insects are not known to occur, and to grow the cane for the first
year under the inspection of an entomologist. Shipments of sugar
_ cane coming into the United States should be carefully examined at
the port of entry, but sometimes there are borers within the cane
which can not be detected unless the stalks are cut open andl conse-
quently spoiled. Gases which are ordinarily very efficient for fumi-
gation seem to be unable to penetrate a stalk of cane, but it may be
that dipping the cane in certain solutions will be found to be satis-
factory. Experiments along these lines are now in progress.

2 INSECTS IN SHIPMENTS OF SUGAR CANE.

Compared with the knowledge which has been gained of certain
other insects, little is known concerning the species which troulle
sugar cane. The reason for this lack of knowledge is that the scien-
tific study of the various species is a very recent development, and
the few workers in dierent parts of the world have not yet had time
to make the required investigations. But the several species, with
their respective forms of injury, have been differentiated and some
of their life habits have been determined, so that more than sufh-
cient knowledge has been obtained upon which to base a warning.
The very fact that the measures for control are in many cases doubt-
ful makes the warning even more urgent.

A list of species liable to dissemination by shipments of sugar
cane has been compiled from published and unpublished notes which
are on file at the office of the United States Bureau of Entomology
at Audubon Park, New Orleans. The various species are considered
as follows:

FOREIGN INSECTS.

THE LARGER MOTH BORER.
(Casinia licus Drury.)

Of the injurious insects which do not now occur in the United States
the larger moth borer is perhaps most to be avoided. The injury
to the cane by this species is even greater than that which is caused
by the moth borer which we have in this country, and the larger
species is still more difficult to control.

Prof. H. A. Ballou,! entomologist of the Imperial Department of
Agriculture for the British West Indies, has published the following
statement regarding the pest:

* * * The larva reaches a size of 24 inches in length and 4 inch in diameter.
The tunnel is consequently large and the injury to cane very severe. The pupal
state is passed in the cane or in the soil near the underground portions. The time
occupied in the life cycle ranges from 12 to 15 weeks. The adult insect is a large
day-flying moth which in general appearance is very similar to the large butterflies.

Casinia licus 1s a native of South America. Its original food plants were species
of the orchid family and of the family of plants to which the pineapple belongs
(Bromeliaceze). It is distributed over a large portion of the northern part of South
America and extends northward to Mexico; it has been known in Trinidad for several
years. In British Guiana it has been a serious cane pest in certain localities for a
number of years, and in Trinidad it is known to attack sugar cane and bananas. It
has also been reported, as a cane pest, from Surinam. It is not known at present to
occur in any of the islands north of Trinidad, and every precaution should be taken
to prevent its introduction into any of these islands. If cane plants are to be imported
from any colony or country where this pest occurs, only the tops should be admitted,
and these should be carefully examined for any signs of the eggs or larvee at the base
of the leaves. Cane trash should never be imported, on account of the possibility of

1JInsect Pests of the Lesser Antilles. By H. A. Ballou, M. Sc. Issued by the Commissioner of Agri-
culture. Barbados, 1912.

INSECTS IN SHIPMENTS OF SUGAR CANE. 3

introducing the eggs. Any trash accidentally accompanying imported cane plants
should be rigorously burned.

Control.—No satisfactory system of control has yet been devised for the larger moth
borer. Collecting the moths by means of nets in the hands of children has given
better results than any other direct measure of control that has been tried. Flooding
the fields after the removal of the crop has had a good effect in certain instances,
but this practice could not be carried out in most localities in the Lesser Antilles.

THE WEEVIL BORERS.,

Next in importance come the weevil borers, of which there are
several species. They are known in Cuba, Porto Rico, Hawaii, the
British West Indies, and probably in South America and Mexico. It
seems that one or two species may be recorded as rare in the United
States. A note in the possession of the writer records a weevil as
having been reared from young shoots of sugar cane which were col-
lected at Fairview Plantation, Berwick, La., on April 28, 1910, by
Mr. D. L. Van Dine. Mr. Van Dine found the larve just above
the surface of the ground. Mr. E. R. Barber of this office states that
he found pupe of weevils in the sugar cane at Audubon Park, New
Orleans, in 1911. During the early summer in 1912 the writer found
weevil borers in the young sugar-cane plants at Audubon Park and
at the experiment station at Brownsville, Tex. The weevils found
at Brownsville were in the larval stage in dying plants of stubble
cane, below the surface of the ground and near the point where the
young shoot left the old stubble. In plant cane at Audubon Park
the weevil larve were also found below the surface, and near the
point where the young plant joined the seed cane. The larve were
from one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch in length. Sometimes a
borer was found in the middle of the stem, while in other cases the
borers were near one side of the stem. The injury to the plant is
like the ‘‘dead heart” caused by our moth borer. It seems probable
that the moth borer is blamed for some of the injury caused by the
weevuls. ,

Very likely these borers have been introduced in shipments of
sugar cane from the Tropics. They are small and their work is
hard to find, so that they might easily have escaped the eye of the
average person. So few of the weevils have been found up to date
that there may be no occasion for alarm, while on the other hand
they may increase in numbers so as to become a serious pest.

THE FROGHOPPERS.

Probably the greatest damage from froghoppers or spittle insects
is suffered by the cane planters of the Island of Trinidad, near the
coast of Venezuela. Froghoppers suck the juice from the cane
plants. Remaining in one place on the plant they surround them-
selves with a coating of white froth, and because of this habit the
popular name of spittle insects has been given to them. They are

4 INSECTS IN SHIPMENTS OF SUGAR CANE.

small, winged creatures, and leap readily when disturbed. The
froghoppers breed in cane fields which are damp and grassy. A
good method of control is to keep the cane fields free from rank weeds
and tall grass. A species of froghopper was found last summer on
cane and grass near New Orleans by Mr. Gilbert E. Bodkin, Govern-
ment economic biologist of British Guiana, who examined some cane
fields in company with the writer. Specimens of these insects were
sent to Dr. F. W. Urich, entomologist of Trinidad, who states that
the species is not the same as the one which occurs in his vicinity.
Dr. Urich writes as follows:

I would strongly advise you to make an effort to eradicate this insect from the grass
surrounding cane fields, for if they get established in sugar canes there is no knowing
what may happen. Our froghopper trouble originated in grass.

THE LEAFHOPPERS.

Apparently we have several leafhoppers in this country, but they
do not seem to be injurious. In Hawau, however, there is a de-
structive leafhopper (Perkinsiella saccharicida Kirkaldy) which was
introduced from Queensland, Australia. The manner of introduction
and dispersion is described in an interesting way by Mr. D. L. Van
Dine ' in the following words:

The main factor in the distribution of the pest is the habit of the female of depositing
her eggs beneath the epidermis of the internodes of the cane stock. It seems probable
that the pest was introduced into the islands and to a great extent distributed over
the cane districts in seed cane. In local distribution other factors present themselves.
The leafhopper is an insect readily attracted by light at night, as its presence about
lamps in the factories and homes on the plantations testifies. Passengers and steam-
ship officers of the interisland steamers have frequently stated to the writer on inquiry
that in many instances, especially at night, great numbers of the insects have come
aboard in certain ports or when offshore from certain plantation districts. These
adults have undoubtedly traveled in this manner from one locality to another, so
that an uninfested district might easily have become infested while stopping at or
passing by an infested locality. Railway trains have been equally active in the
spread of the insect on land.

Another mode of distribution during the general outbreak of 1903, under conditions
of heavy infestation, was the migration of the pest from one locality to another during
the daytime. These migrations were observed by many of the planters. The man-
ager of one plantation in the Hamakua district of the island of Hawaii stated to the
writer that in the early evening of April 26, 1903, the atmosphere was “thick with
hoppers’’ for a distance of 2 miles and that the “hoppers’’ were traveling with the
prevailing wind, about southwest. Similar migrations, described by the observers
as ‘‘clouds,’’ were mentioned by other managers.

The characteristic injury of this leafhooper is also noted by Mr.
Van Dine:?

The presence of the pest on the plantations was noticed first by the appearance of
a sooty black covering on the lower leaves of the cane plant. This black covering
became known as smut. It isa fungous growth and finds a medium for development
in the transparent, sticky fluid secreted by the leafhoppers during their feeding on
the plant. This secretion is commonly known as honeydew.

1'The Sugar-Cane Insects of Hawaii. By D. L. Van Dine. Bul. 93, Bureau of Entomology, U.S,
Department of Agriculture. Washington, 1911.
2 Previous reference.

INSECTS IN SHIPMENTS OF SUGAR CANE. 5

The black smut or fungous growth in the honeydew secretion of the leafhopper and
the red discoloration about the openings to the egg chambers in the midribs of the
leaves are the most pronounced symptoms of the work of the leafhopper on cane.

When one considers that this pest was inadvertently transported
from Australia to Hawaii, there is no reason to suppose that it could
not be brought from Hawai to the United States, more especially
alter the opening of the Panama Canal.

THE PINK MEALYBUG.

(Pseudococcus sacchari Ckll.)

The pink mealybug (Pseudococcus sacchari Ckll.) is not known to
occur in the United States, though we have an allied species. It is
a soft creature which infests the cane in a similar manner to the
form which occurs in the United States, which is considered in another
place in this publication. It occurs in Cuba, Porto Rico, South
America, and probably elsewhere. We have received some specimens
from Costa Rica.

THE WEST-INDIAN MOLE CRICKET.

(Scapteriscus didactylus Latr.)

The West Indian mole cricket (Scapteriscus didactylus Latr.) is
recorded from the West Indies generally and from South America,
but it is especially destructive in Porto Rico, where “‘it abounds
over all the island and attacks practically all cultivated plants.’’!
This insect burrows in the soil and feeds on the cane and other
plants. Its peculiar life history makes it very difficult to control.

The omnivorous habit of the mole cricket of Porto Rico indicates
that the sugar planter may not be the only one who will lose by the
careless introduction of sugar cane. It seems possible, too, that
insects not known to attack sugar cane but which attack other plants
may be transferred from place to place in shipments of cane.

OTHER FOREIGN INSECTS.

There are many other insects of lesser importance that attack
sugar cane in the Tropics, but it will hardly be necessary to consider
them here except to state that an insect which is of littie harm in
one country may become surprisingly injurious if brought to another
country. The reason for this is that in its native place a species
usually has natural enemies of one kind or another which check its
progress, while if the injurious species becomes established in a new
home its enemies are seldom introduced with it and the harmful
insect reaches its maximum development. Insects that are con-
sidered of little consequence by our tropical friends may become of
almost tragic importance to us if we allow them to enter our borders.

1 Second Annual Report of the Experiment Station (of the Sugar Producers’ Association of Porto Rico)
for the Year 1911-1912. Report of the Entomologist by D. L. Vam Dine. Rio Piedras, P. R., 1912.

6 INSECTS IN SHIPMENTS OF SUGAR CANE.

INSECTS OCCURRING IN THE UNITED STATES,

THE SUGAR-CANE MOTH BORER.

(Diatrexa saccharalis Fab.)

The sugar-cane moth borer is easily the most important of the
insects injurious to sugar cane in the United States. Like other
sugar-cane insects it was probably introduced from the Tropics,
though the time of this introduction is very uncertain.1 The nature
of injury is only too familiar to most planters. The adult, a small
moth, deposits its eggs in clusters on the leaves of the cane plants.
These eggs hatch, and the small larve, or borers, which emerge begin
to gnaw their way into the stalk. The injury in the early spring is
known as ‘‘dead heart,’ and consists of the decaying of the tender
shoot of the young plant. This is caused by the inner tissues being
severed by the borer near the surface of the ground. Later in the
season the borer is found in the stalks of cane, in which it gnaws
irregular tunnels. :

Mr. T. C. Barber? has made an investigation of the actual loss
directly due to the moth borer, and he summarizes his results in these
words:

The sugar-cane borer damages cane in the field by destroying a considerable per-
centage of the eyes, thus reducing the stand of plant cane; by stunting the growth of
the cane, owing to the physical injury of the stem; by admitting fungous diseases
through the wounds in the stem, and is the main cause of injury by the wind, owing
to the weakening of the stalk due to the tunnels and burrows. These classes of injury
have been appreciated by planters. It now develops that there is another and very
important class of injury which has been overlooked. ‘This is the reduction of both
the quantity and quality of the juice, which is dealt with specially in this circular.
It becomes evident that both the planters and the manuiacturers are vitally interested
in the work of the sugar-cane borer.

The distribution of the moth borer seems to be limited, in a general
way, to the southern half of Louisiana and the lower Rio Grande
Valley in Texas. The infestation is not uniform, but is affected by
local conditions. Our notes indicate that the moth borer is not to
be found at Sugarland and Victoria, Tex.; at Biloxi and Hattiesburg,
Miss.; nor at Montgomery and Selma, Ala. This matter should be
further investigated, however, as we have not had the opportunity
to examine very many fields at any of the places mentioned. Where
the moth borer is not known to occur the planters should be very
careful in bringing in shipments of cane from other communities.

1 Cane borer (Diatrxa saccharalis). Report of investigations by W. C. Stubbs, director, and H. A. Mor-
gan, entomologist. Bulletin of the Agricultural Experiment Station, second series, No. 70. Baton
Rouge, La., 1902.

2 Damage to Sugar Cane in Louisiana by the Sugar Cane Borer. By T.C. Barber. Circular 139, Bureau
of Entomology, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, 1911,

INSECTS IN SHIPMENTS OF SUGAR CANE. 7

THE GRAY MEALYBUG.

(Pseudococcus calceolarizx Mask.)

Another insect which has entered the United States from the
Tropics is the mealybug, or ‘‘pou-a-pouche,”’ as it is often called in
Louisiana. We have here called it the gray mealybug to distinguish
it from the pink one which is considered under ‘“‘Foreign Insects.”
Mr. J. B. Garrett ! made a study of the mealybug some years ago, and
we quote his statement concerning its history in Louisiana:

Just how long the sugar-cane mealybug has been in Louisiana and from whence it
came is problematical. Information received from some of the oldest cane planters
in southern Louisiana indicates that the insect was imported on seed cane about 25
years ago and became established on some of the plantations near the mouth of the
Mississippi River. From this point it has worked its way north to the district around
New Orleans. Dr. Wm. C. Stubbs, formerly director of the Louisiana Experiment
Stations, states that the mealybug made its first appearance at the Sugar Experiment
Station at Audubon Park, New Orleans, in 1891. It did not become established at
the station from this introduction for the reason that all infested canes were taken up
and burned. Several years later a second introduction to the Sugar Experiment
Station plats occurred. Because of the great value of the varieties infested, it became
more practical to attempt control and exercise precautions in the distribution of seed
cane than to take the rigid measures of eradication. These measures would have
meant the destruction of the varieties in practically all of the station plats with the
reintroduction from outside almost a certainty. This would have been an irreparable
loss to the station and of no protection to the planter since the pest is well established
in the surrounding plantations.

The mealybug may be recognized on the cane plant by the mealy
or floury secretion by which it is surrounded. The insect attaches
itself to the stalk of cane and sucks the juice. Its greatest injury is
in killing the buds of windrowed or other cane, causing a low percent-
age of germination the following year. It is limited to a certain
area in Louisiana, especially to plantations along the Mississippi
River. The writer found an infestation of the mealybug at the
experiment station at Brownsville, Tex., in October, 1912, and he
advised those in charge to take every means of eradicating the pest.

THE SUGAR-CANE APHIDID.

An aphidid or plant louse was found this year (1912) by the writer
at a number of places in southern Louisiana *and near Harlingen,
Tex. It appears to be a species new to science as well as to most
sugar planters. Its importance is doubtful, as we have practically
no information about it.

1A Preliminary Report on The Sugar-Cane Mealy-Bug. By J. B. Garrett. Agricultural Experiment
Station of the Louisiana State University and A. and M. College. Baton Rouge, La., 1910.

8 INSECTS IN SHIPMENTS OF SUGAR CANE.

OTHER INSECTS OCCURRING IN THE UNITED STATES.

We have considered the weevil borers as foreign insects, but as
they have already been found in the United States they may sooner
or later force us to give them a place among our own species.

There are some injurious beetles, and one species seems to be con-
fined to a certain part of Louisiana. During this year no definite
records have been obtained regarding them.

Still other insects which are more or less injurious to sugar cane
occur in this country, but they do not deserve mention in this paper.
There may be still others of which we have no knowledge, for exten-
sive field examinations have been made only during this year. The
information which has been obtained, however, indicates the need
for further investigations.

CONCLUSION.

The fact that the principal insects injurious to sugar cane in the
United States seem to have been inadvertently introduced from the
Tropics indicates the necessity for more careful inspection of ship-
ments of sugar cane entering this country. Indeed, most extraordi-
nary efforts would be justified to prevent the introduction of other
pests. As to the insects which we now have, it is evident that they
are found only in certain places and that they are more abundant in
some places than in others. The fullest information is needed, there-
fore, regarding their present occurrence. Otherwise, the planter, in
seeking to benefit himself by bringing in a shipment of seed cane from
some outside point, may really occasion loss to himself and his
neighbors. The pest which has once become established presents a
problem to the planter and the entomologist, and a period of many
years may be too short a time to solve some of the problems with
which we already have to deal. But if means are provided for keep-
ing out the injurious insects altogether the work will be correspond-
ingly simplified and the planters and manufacturers may be saved
many thousands of dollars.

DDITIONAL COPIES ofthis publication
may be procured from the SUPERINTEND-
ENT OF DOCUMENTS, Government Printing
Office, Washington, D. C., at 5 cents per copy

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