122 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 



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Length 26 mm. Head light brown notably reticulated with darker brown; 

 on either side of the median suture is a rather wide dark brown irregular band 

 extending from the vertex to near tip of clypeus the latter being margined with 

 the same shade of colour; ocelli and mandibles black. Body, ground colour 

 dull pinkish-white, closely marbled above with blackish-brown, giving the whole 

 body a dark appearance; dorsal stripe narrow, pinkish-white, distinct on all 

 segments; lateral stripe similar to dorsal one but less distinct. Stigmatal band 

 pale, rather ill defined: spiracles yellowish, black rimmed. Thoracic shield 

 brown divided by dorsal and lateral stripes. Tubercles indistinctly blackish, 

 I, II, III and IV of similar size, IV immediately behind the centre of spiracle 

 on segment six, tubercle V smaller than IV close to spiracle and in a line with 

 its upper side; the other tubercles similar in size to III. Anal plate pinkish- 

 brown. Thoracic feet yellowish-brown; prolegs concolorous with venter; crotches 

 reddish. 



Moths commenced to emerge lin captivity on June 5 and the last to appear 

 in my cages was on June 7. Outside, they have been collected from the begin- 

 ning to the end of that month but were commonest during the first two weeks. 

 The moths are of the usual cutworm size with pale gray primaries showing a 

 brownish area on the middle portion; the head and thorax are also gray while 

 the abdomen and secondaries are dull brown. 



The economic importance of the Brome-grass Cutworm lies chiefly in its 

 relation to the production of the grass upon which it feeds. Observation, 

 combined with reports from threshermen in various parts of the province, show 

 that the insect occurs in large numbers over a wide area. The moths have also 

 been taken in Saskatchewan and Alberta. It is, therefore, probable that the 

 larvae will be found to occur in equal numbers on the brome-grass fields of Sask- 

 atchewan and perhaps in Alberta also. In Manitoba the insects are usually so 

 abundant in the sheaves at threshing time that they cause considerable annoy- 

 ance by getting into the seed while the racks frequently present a mass of craw- 

 ling caterpillars. When one views a field of brome-grass inhabited by these 

 insects, however, the actual damage done to the plants appears to be remarkably 

 small considering the number of larvae present. This is probably due to the 

 vigorous growth of the grass after harvest which thus largely overcomes the 

 insect's attack upon it. The species is not, therefore, a serious menace at the 

 present time though the damage it does is probably much in excess of the usual 

 estimates. Should it increase to still greater numbers, however, the loss would 

 have an important bearing on the pasture situation of the west, brome-grass 

 being recognized as one of the most valuable fodder plants of that region. 



We know of no actual means of suppressing this pest but the following 

 suggestions might l)e of advantage in attempting its control: 



(1) Plough affected fields in July and cultivate them later on to prevent 

 further growth; thus starving the young caterpillars. 



(2) Destroy the insects shaken. into the racks. 



(3) Feed brome-grass straw and burn the refuse around where the crop 

 has been threshed. This will kill a large number of the cutworms which drop 

 to the ground while the sheaves are being handled and which hibernate in the 

 vicinity amid the chafT, etc., scattered round by the thrashing operations. 



