312 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



The true army-worm is found in various places over the world, but, 

 with the exception of Australia, where -the insects cause some damage, 

 that part of the United States and Canada east of the central portion of 

 Kansas and north of Tennessee seems to be the region in which these 

 insects occur in great numbers and cause such a vast amount of damage. 

 Practically every year the army-worm causes several hundred thousand 

 dollars damage in some portion of this region of the United States and 

 Canada, and occasionally more or less throughout the entire region in 

 the same year. 



While we cannot say that the army-worm is on a whole so destructive 

 as the chinch bug, yet within certain restricted areas it does, in certain 

 years, cause more damage. The western part of the little state of Mas- 

 sachusetts lost upwards of five hundred thousand dollars by the ravages 

 of one brood of this insect in a single season. About eight hundred thou- 

 sand dollars worth of oats alone went down the throats of these army- 

 worms in one season in the states of Indiana and Illinois. Just what the 

 damage in any one year in the State of Missouri, due to the ravages of 

 the army-worm has been, I am unable to say, but certaia it is that many 

 thousands of dollars are lost nearly every year in some portion of Mis- 

 sour as a result of the ravages of this insect. 



Fortunately the army-worm does not occur in sufficient quantities 

 to attract the attention of the agriculturist every year. Nevertheless, let 

 it be understood that the army-worm is with us in our fields and meadows 

 every year, but only in certain years do these insects multiply in such 

 vast numbers as to destroy the food plants in their locality and cause 

 them to march in armies in search of fresh food. When these marches 

 occur the agriculturist has his attention called to it at once, and then 

 wonders where these army-worms came from, and what becomes of 

 them. As a matter of fact, very few agriculturists know anything about 

 the life history of these little fellows. It is important, therefore, in order 

 to intelligently understand the control of these insects, that he should 

 at least know briefly the general outline of he life, history and habits of 

 these worms. 



THE INSECT DESCRIBED. 



The adult of the army- worm is a small, brown or fawn colored moth, 

 somewhat speckled with black scales, and with a distinct white spot near 

 the center of the front wing ; the hind wings are of a lighter dusky color, 

 with the outer margin and the veins darker or blackish. The expanded 

 wings of these moths measure about an inch and a half to an inch and 

 three-quarters. By referring to figure 57, b, one can obtain a good 



