Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-09-03
THE COTTON WORM,
Prof. A. R. Grotc's Paper ON tho Plague
OF tho Southern Planter.
e IN. y. Tribune Report.

OF tho Southern Planter.
IN. II. Tribune Report.
John NHubner was the first 10 .name
the cotton worm scientif fcally. He de-
scribed the cotton worm moth under
the name aletia argillacea, and figured
it in two positions. This name is fixed
by priority of description. The differ.
ent stages of the dletiG as found
throughout the cotton belt Of the south.
ern states have been faithfully portrayed
by Prof. Townsend Glover, of the agri-
cultural depastbpeent ea Ct sWashington;
would bsaofsssre eas vi al1ue, 4as.it also de.
scribes the habits and the insect enc
mics of the cotton worm.g The publica-
tion of this workA should be taken in
hand by the state Legislatures in the
cotton belt IsIttII III S,Tiifts ;J{
Prof. @. N. Riley, of Missouri, has
noticed the atetiG and furnished draw
ing in the second report on the insects
of Missouri of the f1nptf Lyrepresenting
its head dawnMards aa i'm d stateof rest,
In the sixth report he again discusses
the inseot,, and, the moth is represented
in normal position. He. clnims that
the cotton worm hybernates as q moth.
The present paper will, undertake to
show that such view is erroneous, and
will give some particulars respecting
the habits of the insect. Prof. Grote
has observed the cotton worm during
five seasohs in central Alabama, and on
many different plantations. It belongs
to the aaoctuCs, q family OF nocturnal
moths. 1.-THE genus lis one of q number
of intertropical or southern forms re-
lated to the more northern genus altisia,
and has on our own soil stIe genus GnoI
mis- for its more immediate ally. The
worm is "half looper." The chlysalis
JIG held within an exceedingly loose web
on the plant, and is Visible through the
mesh. The egg, the worm, the chrysalis,
and the moth have been fully described
elsewhere. It is designed here to trace
the consecutive history of the'insect.
Prof. Groteahas observed the worm in
Marengo ana Green counties, onsthe
Tombigbee and Black Warrior rivers.
There cottouTi is tsown in March and
April, beginsSto bloomSin June and Ju.
ly, and perishes in November The ear.
liest period at which, Prof. Grote no.
ticed the yo,ing worm. was the last week
inJune, it's first appearance varying in
the same locality to tbamidale Of July,
The multiplication of the first brood
causes the greatest loss to the planter.
The appearance of the worm is always
ucAuluSu Cuo UuNoub VI gIiS pcIlSCb
moth, the latter coming. TO light in
houses at least week before the worm
appears in the fields. After making oh.
servation-that the worm is the progeny
of moths appearing for the first time in
June and July-Prof. Grote noted the
extreme irregularity of the first brood,
which skips some and visits other plan
tations oyer the country. But this ir.
regularity II fully made up by later
broods andg1suhseauentri increase. The
next feature Sbse erved dSawas sthat the worm
Of any giysn5lo oSaiisgy GS Comes as aa
army from the south, the broods arriy-
ing consecutively as long es the season
lasts. The latest broods, when the
worms were numerous, ate everything
that was aS all soft about the cotton
plant the flowers, the persistent oaiyx,
the very young boil, the terminal shoots,
then changed into myriad chrysalides,
clinging to the leafless stems in the face
of frost, the latter chrysalidesl aud re-
ern armya@as killed by the advancing
winter and the decrease of their food
plant. Prof. Grote asks if the few spe-
cimens of the moth visible sinz sunny
days in the winter were 6aees Iof Ehybefa
nation or merely accidental survival.
Hubner describes the moth as origi.
nally from Bahia, Brazil. Its destruc.
tion of perennial cotton in the West In.
dies, Mexico and Brazil Is established.
From asSientific point the insect is of q
southern type of it's family. Prof. Grote
believeazfllntt the insects sdies.out with its
food ut the end of each year in the
southern states, and Allnt, its next ap,
pearance is due in every insta1icei toVa
fresh immigration from more southern
regions. For many years after cotton
was cultivated in the south the insect
did not make its appearance. Its earli.
est date in Central Alabama was not
much preceding the war. 1t does not
appear every year, nor does it ut the
same time of the year in any locality.
The moth is capable of extended flights;
Prof. Packard has seen it in the eastern
states. Prof. Grote and DIR. Il. T.. Har.
vey in Buffalo; Prof. Riley. says it has
been taken in Chicago. It probably
follows the coast-line and the water.
courses emptying in the gulf of Mexico
the watershed of the Mississippi ex.
tendingto,within fifty miles of Buffalo.
There is evidence of most extended
flights on the part of other nocturnal
insects. Spreading thus rapidly from
the south, it escapes it's natural par.
asites. ~ tFf i
If the hybernating theory is adopted,
period of several months in the histo.
ry OF the insect Gan not be accounted
for. The worm has never been seen on
anything bs't the cotton plant, and
perishes by thousands rather than eat
n &xH, Z',e Al-El