REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



223 



Fig. 14. — Variegated Cutworm — enlarged one-half. 



Fig. 13. — Variegated 

 Cutworm : eggs. 



The following is a description of the full-grown larva, the form in which it 

 appeared as such a destructive enemy among the crops of British Columbian farmers 

 and gardeners last season : — 



Heavj'-bodied cutworms, about two inches in length by over a quarter of an inch 

 in width, of varying shades of gray or stone colour, the whole body finely mottled and 

 variegated with black, gray; brown, or pinkish markings, any one of which may 

 predominate more or less in different specimens ; many have a ruddy appearance from 

 the ground colour of the skin being of a pinkish colour. The markings of these cater- 

 pillars consist of a conspicuous yellow band, mottled with orange, beneath the spiracles; 

 a sub-dorsal interrupted stripe of velvety black blotches washed with orange, some- 

 times very conspicuous, but at others almost obliterated ; a medio-dorsal line of 

 yellow, almost continuous from the head to the apex of the anal flap. This line 

 expands into four or sometimes five conspicuous yellow spots, situated in the centre 

 of the middle segments. These spots are always present on segments 4 to 7, those on 

 5 and 6 being the largest. There is also occasionally a spot on segment 3. The 

 supra-stigmatal area bears on each segment, except the head, a diagonal blackish, 

 curved, almost S-shaped mark, the lower end of each of which incloses the black 

 spiracle. These marks form a wide, but on some specimens distinct, sinuous band between 

 the sub-dorsal stripe and sub-stigmatal band. On segment 12, the sub-dorsal stripes 

 meet and form a black velvety patch, somewhat like the letter W, with the lower part 

 filled in. Behind this, on segment 13, and the posterior third of segment 12, is an 

 orange or pale patch, sharply defined anteriorly against the straight edge of the velvety 

 patch on segment 12. The ventral surface is paler than the dorsal and glaucescent. 

 Head round, deeply cleft at summit, testaceous, coarsely mottled with brown or reddish 

 markings. In the centre of the face are two curved black stripes which, starting from 

 the summit of each lobe of the head and converging, meet above the frontal triangle, 

 and then run down to the base of the antennfe. Thoracic feet testaceous ; prolegs con- 

 colorous, bearing testaceous chitinous plates at the base exteriorly ; claws blackish. 



When full-grown, these caterpillars burrow a short distance into the ground and 

 form a smooth oval cell, in which they change into the chrysalis or pupal stage, when 

 they are of a bright chestnut brown, about three-quarters of an inch in length. The 

 anterior segments following the rounded head parts and to the tip? of the wing covers, 

 are cylindrical, but the six remaining segments, as has been noticed by several corre- 

 spondents, are capable of movement. These segments diminish in size to the tip, 

 which is armed with two slender black spines, which lie so close together as to appear 

 as one, unless closely examined with a magnifying glass. This stage for the second 

 brood, of which the moths emerged in August and September, was from 20 to 23 

 days. 



