The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-11-30
DATA ON THE MEXICAN COTTON
BOIL WEEvIL
(Anthonomus Grandis)
(By Lindley Hamburger, B. S, in
Agr. NJ. S., Agricultural Engineer
and Chemist.)

To the Editor Ocala Banner:
While making an agricultural soil
survey of body of land few miles
southeast from Ocala, | found the
dreaded cotton boil weevil established
In two fields of long staple cotton.
This was on November It'll, and on
making a re-inspection of this same
area a few days since, very decided
increase in number of adult insects
was found, which is remarkable, con-
sidering the lateness of the season.
At the request Of the editor of one
of Ocala's leading papers, make this
contribution, which is in part taken
from paper read by the writer over
. year ago, at meeting of the Tai.
Iahassee Boosters Club.
The Mexican cotton boil weevil Gan
thonomus Grandis) belongs to the
great economic order of insects-Cole-
eptera, to which all the true beetles
belong, and to the family-CuTculion-
idae (the snout beetles).
History Of invasion
The cotton boil weevil is native OF
Mexico and Central America. Its in
PRODUCTION into the United States &C.
Cured in the years 1892 or 1893, at
Brownsville, Texas. 1t was not until
the year 1894 that the federal govern
ment's attention was called to this
pest, when it had spread over some
half a dozen counties of southwest
Texas.
The federal bureau of entomology
sent Special Investigator Townsend
to this territory in 1894. where he
studied the characteristics and life
history of this insect. Professor
Townsend in his report of 1895 recon.
mends the most drastic action in
dealing with this pest, but as is usual
in the case of politics, no immediate
action was taken. both congress and
the Texas state government failing to
respond Right here it might be well
to state that if Uncle Sam had done
in 1896 what he is now doing in Flor
ida in citrus canker eradication, with
the aid of our state, there would be
no such thing as a cotton boil weevil
problem in our southland today.
The seasons of 1896 and 1897 were
very unfavorable to the development
and increase of the boil weevil, but
the year 1898 proved to be most IA
vorable one for the insect in south
west Texas, and it made great gains
to the eastward. 1t was really not un-
til then that Texas and congress
awakened to the great danger. 1t was
during this year that the Texas legis-
1ature made small appropriation.
Conditions grew. rapidly worse as the
years went by. In the year 1903 Tex
as appropriated $4,000. and in 1904
congress made an appropriation of
$250,OO0.
At this late day, though, it was too
late to stem the tide of infestation
The damage had been doneg and the
appropriations of moneys by the gov.
eminent could only be used to study
means of control, not determination
of practices and methods to enable the
southern cotton farmer to grow cotton
under boil weevil infestati6n condi
lions, and above all not to be depend
ent on the one-crop cotton for the
main support. During this period the
boys corn club, the girls tomato
club and the pig club originated.
Life History of the Boil Weevil
The eggs are laid in punctures made
by the adult female, on the young cot.
ton boil, one or more eggs being laid
In each puncture. The total number
of eggs laid by the adult vary from
$50 to some 700. The eggs hatch in
the course of from three to five days
into a white grub, which feeds upon
the interior portion of the boil, the
larvae goes through three mouths and
finally comes out of the boil as an
adult, and in some three weeks from
the time the egg was laid. The aver.
age generation is about ~ days, and
we can have normally here in Marion
county not less than four broods dur
ing the season.
Natural Checks
Productions insects, birds and dis
eases are our only checks. OF preda.
cious insects the most valuable are
the ants. OF these predacious insect.
special mention should be made from
an introduction from Central America
4. e., the Gautemalan ant This insect
evidently feeds exclusively on the
cotton boil weevil AS to diseases
this means of combating the boil wee
will has not met with much success