Climbing Cutworms. 655 



black. The sjDiraeles are black, and thus contrast very sharply with 

 •the whitish body color, as shown in the ligures. Short, brownish 

 hairs arise from small blackish-green spots regularly arranged on the 

 body ; the dorsal spots are darker. Its general whitish color and indis- 

 tinct markings render it easily distinguished from most cutworms. 



The adult insect is shown natural size at «, plate 1, and twice 

 natural size at h. Its front wings vary considerably in their 

 ground color; they are ash-grey, suffused with either yellowish, 

 brownish or reddish. The hind wings are whitish, with a double 

 dusky shade on the outer edge, and a dark discal spot. The 

 indistinct markings on the front wings are well shown in the figures. 



Its habits. — This cutworm has always been reported as a climber ; 

 but several of our correspondents were very sure that they recog- 

 nized it among the culprits that cut off their cabbage and other 

 garden plants grown in sandy soils in the neighborhood of the 

 injured peach trees. Its climbing habits have been described in 

 detail on a preceding page in the general notes on their depreda- 

 tions in western New York. 



The moths, doubtless, feed on the nectar of flowers as do other 

 Noctuids. They are attracted to lights and to sugar baits. 



Its name. — Usually the adult and caterpillar stages of the insects 

 known as "cutworms" are given different popular names. The 

 cutworm under discussion was named by Dr. Riley "the climbing 

 cutworm." He named the moth " the climbing rustic," and by 

 these names the insect has since been known. As the scientific 

 name of the insect, scandens, means to climb, it may be well to not 

 change the popular name of the moth. But there are now several 

 other cutworms equally as common, and in which the climbing pro- 

 pensity seems equally as well developed whenever occasion requires ; 

 it thus seems inappropriate to designate this cutworm as the climb- 

 ing cutworm. As cutworms are usually named from some 

 peculiarity of their coloration, and as this one is nearly white in 

 color and aU its markings are white, we propose the more appropri- 

 ate name of " white cutworm " for it. 



Its life-history. — Practically nothing has been added to our 

 knowledge of the life-history of this insect since Dr. Riley's 

 account in 1869. He found different sizes of the cutworms appear- 

 ing on the buds during the last week of April in Illinois. In con- 

 finement they were fed on apple and grape leaves, and began 

 entering the ground for pupation May 20th. ISTine days later the 



