658 Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



and on August 21st and 25tli. Nothing further is known of its 

 life-history ; it probably differs but little from that of the white cut- 

 worm just discussed, that is, there is doubtless but one brood during 

 a year and it winters as a half or two-thirds-grown cutw^orm. 



3. The Well-Marked Cutworm. 



Noctua clandestina Harris. 



Nearly 5 per cent, of the cutworms taken on peach trees at 

 Forest Lawn and sent us in 1894 were this well-marked cutworm ; 

 it was not present among the specimens received in 1893, 



Its history and distribution. — This very common ISToctuid was 

 described and named by Dr. Harris in 1811 from specimens bred by 

 himself and from one sent him by Dr. Melsheimer, who had bred it 

 in Pennsylvania from a cutworm working in corn. The cutworm 

 was not definitely described until 1869 (First Missouri Report, p. 

 79) when its climbing habits were first recorded by Dr. Riley. The 

 species is frequently mentioned in accounts of cutworm depreda- 

 tions, but has rarely appeared in any locality in large numbers; it 

 was unusually common in Illinois in 1887. 



It has a wide distribution. Dr. Fitch recorded it as very common 

 in our State in 1856. In 1875 it was reported from California and 

 Nevada. It is now known to occur all over the United States^ 

 except in the Southern States, and in Canada, including Manitoba. 



Its appearance. — The two figures of the cutworm, twice natural 

 size, on plate 3 well show its characteristic markings. It is of a 

 greenish-ash color mottled with dusky, and distinctly marked with 

 four rows of conspicuous, more or less triangular, black spots 

 arranged as shown in the figures ; the spiracles are situated in the 

 spots of the lateral rows, and are bordered below by yellowish 

 patches. The narrow light stripes seen in the figures are yellow. 

 The head is yellowish, recticulated with brown and marked with a 

 wide brown band on each side of the middle. 



The moth is shown natural size at a, and twice natural size at h on 

 plate 3 ; the figures represent nearly its natural coloring. Its front 

 wings are of a dark smoky brown color with rather indistinct mark- 

 ings. The female has a curious and apparently unique structure on 

 each side of the venter of the next to the last abdominal segment ; 

 it is a deep smooth depression whose object is not known. 



