44 



Agrotis clandestina. — Harris. 



The Clandestine Oivlet Moth— Larva — The W Marked Cut-worm. — Riley. 



Yery common in Canada, the Northern and Western United States. 



The larva of this moth fig. 6 (after Riley) is one of the climbers, 



but does not possess the habit to a marked degree. Though it has 



been caught eating apple buds, it seems to prefer low bushels, such as 



currants, &c., and its more congenial food is garden vegetab es. The 



bill of indictments against this worm is a heavy one, as ithas been 



Fig. 6. found to attack wheat, young corn, buckwheat, young pumpkins, beans, 



cabbages, and many other garden plants. In feeding, it frequently drags its food under 



stones or into the groxmd, so that it may devour it at leisure. 



The general colour of the worm is ash grey, inclining on the back and upper sides to 

 dirty yellow, and it is finely speckled over with black and brown spots. Along the back 

 is a fine light line, a light sulphur yellow line on each side, with a band of dirty brownish 

 yellow beneath. The distinguishing feature is a row of black velvety marks along each 

 side of the back, on all but the thoracic segments, and bearing a general resemblance, look- 

 ing from tail to head, to the letter \V, whence Mr. Riley has given it its name. Head 

 black, with a white line in front like an inverted Y, and white at sides. It is about 1;^ 

 inches in length. (Riley.) 



The moth appears at the end of June. It is dark ash grey, with the usual wavy- 

 bands faintly traced. The two ordinary spots are small, narrow, and generally connected 

 by a fine black line. The hind wings are dirty brownish white, somewhat darker behind. 

 It expands about an inch and three-quarters. The wings, when closed, overlap on their 

 inner edges, and cover the top of the back so flatly and closely that the insects can get 

 into very narrow crevices. During the day they hide under the bark of trees in the 

 chinks of fences, or the clapboarding of buildings. This peculiarity led Harris to give the 

 moth its specific name of clandestina. 



Hadena subjtjncta. — Grote and Robinson. 



The Siib joined Hadena — Larva — The Speckled Cut-worm. — Riley. 



This moth, placed by Mr. R'ley among the Cut-worm moths of Missouri, is also found 

 in Canada. The caterpillar, when full grown, is about an inch and a half long, grey, with 

 a tinge of rust colour on the middle of each segment, and is minutely speckled as with 

 pepper and salt. It has an interrupted white line on the back with a similar one on 

 each side and two spots on the back on the fore part of each segment. The head is light 

 shiny brown. It feeds voraciously on cabbage leaves during the night, lying concealed 

 and motionless in daytime. 



The moths appear early in August, and are very distinct in appearance from those 

 already described. They are of a dull flesh-coloured shade, marked with greyish brown 

 and black. The ordinary spots are large, with a distinctly marked ring around them ; 

 and the abdomen is crested at the base. A full description of the insect is given by Mr. 

 Riley, in his first Report, page 85, which is copied from that of Messrs. Grote and Robin- 

 son. It is not very common in Canada. 



Cel^na renigera. — Stephens. C. herbimacula. — Guenee. 



The Figure 8 Minor — Larva — The Small White Bristly Cut-worm. — Riley. 



The moth bearing this name is a pretty little insect, the fore wings being brown, 

 variegated with lilac-grey, and mos.sy-green, and having a deep brown spot about the 

 middle, and a silvery line, somewhat resembling the figure 8, around the kidney spot. It 

 is much smaller than those previously mentioned, and has the wings broader and rounder 

 in proportion. 



