Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-11-16
SUGAR BEET PESTS
Insects Which Prey Upon The Plant.

Prof. >. A. FORBES, state entOnolORiSt
and professor of entomology at the uni |
versity of Illinois. will shortly issue an |,
extensive bulletin on 1.-The EntomClogy !
of the Sugar Beet" In il more than 100
different insects which prey upon beets
are classified, and the best means of their
determination is given.
The bulletin is the ult Of two years
work, in which Mr.. Forbes was assisted
by Charles A. Hart.
Regarding the commOnest insect enc
mics Of the beetS and The most success
ful ways OF destroying & them, the bulletin
Will say;
The beet plant is sin lar as food TO
insects 10 some Of our commonest weeds,
and hence it has attracted the prompt
attention OF several species, which, If We
have noticed then at all, we have bither-
70 regarded as our friends; ard 1t has
$50 ;, rived TO give additional variety To
the diet of several crop insects Of som,
what general feeding habits. 1t has al
ready recruited large chronological fol.
lowing about $50 species in America, if
all insects are named which feed upon |
the beet in the field. Most Of these |
can hardly be called injurious in the |
economic sense, but with our present
knowledge of the subject about 40
species can be so classed. Furthermore, |
there may be additions from time 10
time as the large area of eets cultivated
near factories give opportunities for
extraordinary multiplication and a
continuous maintenance of is insect
enemies
1T must not be inferred however, that
the beet plant is especially liable to
insect injury. On the contrary, taking
the country at large, it is at the present
less subject 10 such damage than corn or
wheat, cabbage or potatoes.
The critical period of insect injury 10
he beet is in The beRinnirg of the seas
on, " bile the plants are still small and
slow of growtE
The principal injurious groups are
the leaf miners the webworms, the cut |
w )rms, the woolly bears, and several |
other leaf eating cdferpillars, the wire |
worms, the white grubs, the flea beetles, |
the plant bugs, the leaf hoppers, the
plant lice, and the grasshoppers.
The webworms, the cutworms, the |
flea. beetles, the blister beetles, the leaf !
miners, and the root Ice, have done |
great damage in the states beyond the |
Mississippi, but in Illinois the only con-
siderable injury done in 1895 1899 was
done 10y the pale-sriped flea beetles, !
the gras>hoppers aud the blister beetles
Insect injuries to the underground
part of the beet usually take the form
either of cutting of the top root, all
eating away Of the smaller roots, or a
burrowing or excavation tf the mass Of
the beet itself. They are commonly due
either TO wirewOrms, to white Grubs, or
the beetles, known as muckworms. More
rarely the root lice seriously damage the
plant in summer by sucking the sap
away from the roots. 1t is also probable
that larvae of some of the flea beetles
will be found to infest the plant under.
ground.
Injuries to the leaf may be done
either by bugs with a sucking beak or
beetles, grasshoppers or insects larvae.
with biting mouths. The former alb
stract the sap from the stem or the blade
Of the leaf, often making discolored
spots, dwarfing growth and causing the
leaves to curl, or even killing it com.
pl stely.
1.-The more important measures Of pre-
vention Of insect injuries to the beet are
clean culture and suitable system of
rotation. SO many Of the insect enc.
mics of this plant depend largely upon
certain common feshy weeds that the
growth of these near the beet plantation
is menance to the crop.
"The raking and burning of vegetable
trash in the fall to destroy winter har-
borage OF injurious insects and fall plow-
ing to break up the earthen cell of un.
derground species are consequently use
full general measures Of prevention.
There is no direct remedy available
for the injuries to the underground part
of the beet, but injuries to the leaves
may commonly be arrested by one or