284 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



THE GLASSY CUTWORM. 

 Hadena devastatrix, Brace. 



This glassy cutworm is another very common and widespread one 

 found injuring grass and corn to a great extent in certain localities, 

 frequently becoming the most abundant and destructive cutworm at 

 certain times. The insect derives its name from the fact that the lar\a 

 is somewhat uniform in color, being light and translucent, with a slightly 

 bluish-green tint, and can be distinguished from some other closely allied 

 cutworms by the fact that the head and shield is of a reddish-brown 

 color. This larva is represented enlarged in figure 41. These larvae 

 sometimes occur in such quantities in grass fields, especially in low parts 

 of the field, as to attract attention by the damage which they do to the 

 grass, causing it to wither and die when the area not so infested is per- 

 fectly green. They do not seem to feed upon clover, but feed upon all 

 kinds of grass, including the corn, small grains and most garden vege- 

 tables. They are inclined to work imder the surface of the soil more 



than most cutworms, rarely coming to the 

 surface to feed. Because of this fact, 

 they cannot be so readily poisoned as 

 most cutworms are by the use of poisoned 

 bran, nor trapped by the use of boards. 

 They usually cut off the corn plant just 

 below the surface of the ground, or cut 



Fig. 40.— The Glossy Cutworm, ofi the rootS of the COHl plant a little 

 Hadena devastatrix. Adult Moth; ■, • .1 1 ^1. -i r ^ ^.,^ 



natural size. deeper, movmg through the soil from one 



plant to another and doing the work principally at night. 



The adult moth, which is shown in figure 40, appears the last of 

 July and during August, and deposits her eggs in the grass fields prin- 

 cipally during the months of August and the forepart of September. 

 The young larvae hatching from these eggs feed upon the roots of grass 

 until the approach of cold weather and then hibernate, the same as our 

 other cutworms. In the spring, especially during jMay and June, these 

 larvae move about through the soil, feeding upon the roots and cutting 

 down and eating through the stem of corn and other crops. They trans- 

 form to pupae in the soil, usually a couple of inches below the surface, 

 during the month of July especially. 



From what I have briefly given of the life history of the glassy cut- 

 worm, one can see that the ordinary methods advisable for most other 

 cutworms will not apply to any great extent here. The fact that these 

 cutworms work usually below the surface of the soil, not coining to the 

 surface as do most cutworms, will prevent the successful application of 



