Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-29
A New Cotton Pest


=" IL is important that attention
should be directed Immediately TO
the damage which the cotton leaf
worm may effect against this crop.
Ihls is an insect which does not ap-
pear TO have proven very injurious
Ito cotton in the immediate past. The
@anolcat1ons are that it has become
widely scattered during the present
season, and that it is likely to prove
"a menace Of considerable proportions
so our cotton producers. On this ac-
~count, the following information just
prepared and released for publication
ny Prof. B. r. Coad, at the Delta
LABORATORY, Tallulah, La, is present
Heo TO our readers. Do not pass this
matter over lightly. Familiarize
-gourself with what is known as the
cotton leaf wornn," the nature and
oeeXtent of the depredations it has
,Already wrought in the cotton fields
al the south, and the damage it
may effect on the farms of the south
eastern states in the immediate fu-
lure. Familiarize yourself with the
means of controlling this insect
Through the use of poisons. Remem-
@per' that in meeting the depredations
tfoI a pest of this character, "a stitch
IN time saves nine" Our cotton crop
ats now beset by various insects. Let
US not permit this one to gain an
Undesirable foothold in the south.
During the last week of July the
Delta laboratory began to receive
Sscattered reports of the cotton leaf
worm or, as it is sometimes called,
1tne cotton army worm alabama
a.arg1llacea Hubn.) from the states Of
LOUISIANA and Texas. These reports
nave increased rapidly until it is
snow obvious that We may expect
very serious trouble from this pest
IN the next few weeks. This species
goes not overwinter in the United
states. 1t is a native of tropical
america, and, as the adult moth is
very powerful filler, it migrates
INTO the United States whenever il
.eaches degree Of great abundance
IN It's native home. Normally, the
Nnrst generation produced by the
migrating moths in the United States
ools limited to the southwestern coastal
regions OF the Gulf Of Mexico, and
is not sufficiently abundant to do
serious damage. The progeny of
Inns generation move northward and
eastward, and, as a rule, by the third
ISenerat1on, the entire cotton belt ia
inrested. Generally these genera.
Sdlons are fairly we'll defined. The
present infestation, however, is very
peculiar in that the first generation
mas spread over a remarkably large
territory, and in unusual abundance
reports to date show the state of
= LOUISIANA to be completely infested
anu the majority of Texas is like.
wise. AT least the southern half
1oI arkansas is now infested, and
sscaIterlng infestation occurs prac.
-ticat!y1 all over the state of Missis.
esippl. In addition, scattering re.
PoiLs nave been secured from south.
hvs.eih tennessee and western Ala.
rltory the worms have a1read., 49, 10.
ed defoliating abundance. and sra
seriously injurfng the cotton =, ,ooai
spots, which is very unusual for "a
+tIlrst generation, and indioa+os ns
Eapnormally heavy infestation -, +Ln
next generation, which NAV be az.
spected to start to develop within the
next ten days. In addition an evan,i,
nation OF majority of fields shows
a remarkable variation in the size
y! the worms, the same field ofter
y!eldlng all stages from newly hatch.
eo worms to fully matured ones
= Wnlch nave webbed UP. This seems
ssHo indicate a continual imrnieration
OF moths and the probability Of more
or less continuous damage of a ran.
ldly increasing nature, rather than
alstinct generations as has USUALLY
been the case in the past.
Inc question Of just how much
damage these worms can do is a
very important one in determining
on control measures. At some
points the cotton crop is already so
mature that the worms can do little
Sor no harm, but this area is very
limited. The majority of the terri.
tory where the worms are now nres.