306 THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



approach of cold weather they bury themselves in the 

 ground and here pass the winter. In the spring they renew 

 their attacks on vegetation ; but now, as they are larger and 

 in cultivated fields the plants are smaller, their ravages 

 quickly attract attention. It would not be so bad if they 

 merely destroyed what they eat ; but they have the unfortu- 

 nate habit of cutting off the young plants at the surface of 

 the ground, and thus destroy much more than they consume. 

 They do their work at night, remaining concealed in the 

 ground during the daytime. When full grown they form 

 oval chambers in the ground in which they pass the pupa 

 state. The moths appear during the months of June, July, 

 and August. 



There are some exceptions to these generalizations : some 

 species of cut-worms ascend trees during the night and destroy 

 the young buds; some pass through two generations in the 

 course of a year ; and a few pass the winter in the pupa state. 

 Cut-worms can be destroyed by poisoned baits of fresh 

 clover or other green vegetation, or with poisoned dough 

 made of bran. Much can be done by making holes in the 



ground with a sharpened stick, 

 as a broom-handle. The holes 

 should be vertical, a foot deep, 

 and with smooth sides. On the 

 approach of day the cut-worms 

 will crawl into such holes to 



FIG. ^-L.-Noctita c-nigrum. 1-111 ul 1 



hide, and will be unable to crawl 



out again. Climbing cut-worms can be jarred from the 

 trees during the night, and caught upon sheets, and then 

 destroyed. 



One of our cut-worms, which is known as the Spotted 

 Cut-worm, is the larva of the Black-c Owlet, Noctna 

 c-ingruvi (Noc'tu-a c-ni'grum). This moth (Fig. 371) is one 

 of the most common species attracted to lights. It occurs 

 throughout our country and in Europe. 



At the end of the Noctuid series there is placed a group 



