The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-07-27
THE COTTON CATERPILLAR
It Is Not the Army WOrm-Descrip-
ZION From Which il May be Recos-
niZed

foT the information of the public
and IN order that they may be in
formed on the distinctive character
istics of the cotton catterpillar ,im-
properly called the army worm) the
following facts are drawn from an
official bulletin prepared by the Uni
ted States department. Of agriculture
and are authentic. Worms have an
peared this season in many locali-
ties which have attacked cotton
along with corn and grasses This is
caterpillar but not the one that
was prevalent in the cotton fields in
l9ll, and it's appearance is local and
has no particular significance.
The outbreak of 1911 did not orig
mate in the United States but in Cen
trail or South America. The moths
flew northward very early in the sea-
son and reached the neighborhood of
Brownsville Texas. in April. BY the
middle of June all fields i'm that vi
cinity not protected by the use of
poison had been defoliated. In July
there appears to have been IA second
invasion Of the United States probab-
| ly from South America. The methods
landed in the South Atlantic States
where they bred in great numbers
and moving northward and westward
meet the advancing army that had
IN the meanwhile been coming up
from Texas and the southwest. The
moth being of tropical origin does
not survive in the winter in the
United States save under the mild
est weather and best protection. Care
ful researches have found no live
moths.
| The logical conclusion is that an
outbreak in the United States 1912
VIII be possible only from an invasion
from more southern countries. There
may, however, be such an invasion
for the history of the insects is that
they are numerous for two or three
successive seasons. They have al
ready appeared around Brownsville
and Victoria, Texas, and if another in
vasion lands in the South Atlantic
states it may reasonably be expected
no later than last year or in middle
or late July.
The egg Of the moth is light green
in color and laid on the under side
lof the leaf, never in clusters. They
hatch in three to twenty days ac-
cording to the weather, producing
the caterpillar which begins at once
to eat the leaf and never eats any
thing else until all leaves are gone.
Then the bolls may be attacked, the
outer covering being eaten away. The
worms will not eat anything save
cotton and efforts to breed them on
other plants have failed.
The larva. or worm varies in size
but is generally about one and one
half inches long. Early in the sea-
son it is yellowish green in appear
lance and not SO distinctly marked as
later. Generally the upper surface
has broad brownish, or per-
fectly black stripe, down the
center of the stripe is fine
lyellowish line and similar lines
are on either side of the black area.
Each segment of the worm shows
four black dots. On each side Of the
worm are also black dots less pro-
nounced than those on the back.
When the caterpillar has lived out
it's life in that state, it forms a crude
web turning down an edge of the
leaf. Some times it is suspended from
the leaf by thread
The moth is brownish yellow ol
Ilawny and some times looks reddish
Tor slightly crimson. The moth
spreads its wings from one and "A
quarter to one and a-half inches and
lies principally at night.
Powdered arsenate of lead applied
at rate of about pounds per acre
is the best poison. Paris green is also
useful but should be mixed with euual
parts of flour.