Re: CULT: Borers in Louisianas, etc.

In a message dated 97-05-26 11:01:53 EDT, Bill wrote:

<< Anyone out there have any more detailed information on the iris borer?  Is
 it a European import, like many of our pestiferous insects? >>

I remembered seeing some early studies on borers, done at Cornell University,
published in some of the early AIS Bulletins.  The following quotes are from
AIS Bulletin # 32, July 29.  The article is "Science Series No. 5 : Two Iris
Insects" by Donald T. Ries.

He wrote: "The Iris Borer belongs to the family Noctuidae, a family of
night-flying moths, the same group in which the cut-worms are found.  This is
apparently purely a New World insect as there are no records of it occurring
in foreign countries.  It was first described by Grote in 1874 from specimens
collected by Prof. O.S. Westcott near Chicago, Ill.  Although the original
description does not include the foodplant, later publications give it as
'German Lilies.'"

"This insect is probably universally distributed throughout this country and
Canada wherever Irises are grown or Iris versicolor is found, but in many
localities the infestations are so slight that they go by unnoticed--hence
apparently giving us a very limited distribution.  The present recorded
distribution in the United States includes Maine, Connecticul, New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky,
Wisconsin, Missouri, and Iowa.  Its distribution in Canada includes
localities in Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick."

Looks like we can't blame this one on "imports!"

Dorothy Fingerhood
DFingerhoo@aol.com
Newfield, NY (where there are plenty of borers to study)
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