^Ije Cnuatltan ^utomola^bl 



Vol. XLIX. LONDON, DECEMBER, 1917 No. 12 



POPULAR AND PRACTICAL ENTOMOLOGY. 

 A Little Known Cutworm, Euxoa excellens Grt.* 



BY ARTHUR GIBSON, CHIEF ASSISTANT ENTOMOLOGIST, IN CHARGE 

 OF FIELD CROP INSECT INVESTIGATIONS, DOMINION- 

 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



In the Province of British Columbia the caterpillars of Etixoa 

 excellens Grt. h^ve been abundant enough during certain years to 

 effect important damage to vegetables of several kinds. 



Habits and Life-history 



The first year of which we have record of this species as an 

 economic pest is 1885. In Fletcher's report for 1903, f it is stated 

 that in 1885, the cutworm was a perfect plague in market gardens 

 around Victoria. Larvae from British Columbia were also re- 

 ceived at Ottawa in 1888, and referred to in Fletcher's report for 

 that year under the name of Agrotis oheliscoides Gn. In 1903, t 

 the species was again troublesome on Vancouver Island. Since 

 this latter year we have received no reports of injury by this cut- 

 worm until 1916, when under date of May 30, the late Mr. Tom 

 Wilson, a valued officer of the Entomological Brarfch, reported 

 an outbreak in the neighbourhood of Sechelt, which is a short dis- 

 tance north of Vancouver. The caterpillars had cut off various 

 kinds of garden plants and apparently their feeding habits are 

 similar to those of the better known surface-feeding species of the 

 genus Euxoa. In some gardens three sowings of spinach, lettuce,, 

 onion, etc., had been made before the end of May. 



Larvae received at Ottawa in June, 1916, pupated early in 

 July. Three specimens which changed to pupai on July 2, pro- 

 duced the moths on July 29 and 30. Other moths emerged in 



, *Contribution from the Entomological Branch. 

 tRept. Ent. & Bot., Exp. Farms, Ottawa, 1904. 

 JIdem, p. 183, under Paragrotis perexcellens. 



