282 



MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



feed upon the roots of grass, especially since the adults prefer to seek 

 the grass fields in order to deposit their eggs. These greasy cutworms 

 are more apt to injure the corn plants by cutting them down near the 

 surface of the ground in the spring, so that late sowing of the corn or 

 the second replanting of the corn thus injured does not tend to escape 

 these insects, as is the case with certain other cutworms. 





The greas_\ cutworm has similar habits 

 and life history to those which we have indi- 

 cated under the discussions of preceding cut- 

 worms. The larvae, as soon as they hatch, feed 

 upon the roots of grass and do no particular 

 harm and attract no particular attention 

 until cold weather, when they hibernate in 

 those situations, and the next spring, as soon 

 as thev revive, seek the surface of the earth 

 at night in order to crawl about and cut down 

 the various plants upon which they feed. 

 They thus cause their depredations until they 

 are full grown larvae and transform to 

 pupae. 



These cutworms are all held in check to 

 a certain extent by certain parasitic flies and 

 parasitic hymenoptera, both of which have 

 discussed at some length under the 

 variegated cutworm. The methods of fighting these cutworms are simi- 

 lar to those given under the variegated cutworm, except that the late fall 

 plowing of the grass field previous to putting in corn does not seem to 

 check these insects as much as it does some of the other cutworms. One 

 of the best methods of fighting the greasy cutworm is to turn hogs into 

 the grass fields in the fall of the year several weeks before one wishes to 

 plow the sod under previous to preparing the ground for corn. 



Fig. 37. — The Greasy Cutworm 

 Agrotis ypsilon. Larvae, back and u _ 

 side views ; enlarged. DCen 



THE CLAY-BACKED CUTWORM. 

 Feltia gladiaria, Norr. 



The larvae of the clay-backed cutworm is about one and one-fourth 

 inches in length when full grown and is of a dark brown or greenish- 

 gray color, with a light colored streak along the back. Figure 39 repre- 

 sents one of these larvae enlarged. They occur in variable numbers, de- 

 pending upon the season, sometimes becoming quite scarce and then 

 again appearing in overwhelming numbers and causing serious and wide- 

 spread trouble. This variation in numbers depends very largely upon 



