68 



THE REPORT OF THE 



[ No. 19 



was also infested by the Clover Root borer. These larvse, however, were almost all 

 attacked by the fungus Entomophthora pJiytonomi, Arthur. Almost every blade of 

 grass rising above the clover had at its tip a dead or moribund larva, and of a large num- 

 ber which were apparently healthy, collected for rearing, there was hardly a specimen 

 which produced the beetle. The diseased grubs were of all sizes from very small to full- 

 grown. This was on the 24th of May. A few of the full-grown larvae taken at that 

 time spun their lace-like cocoons in the beginning of June and two beetles emerged about 

 the end of the month. The beetles measure over four-tenths of an inch in length, are 

 oval in shape and of a brown colour with four pale punctured lines on the sides. The 

 beak is rather short and blunt, the thorax smooth and swollen with three pale lines. 

 The wing cases each bear ten deeply impressed lines of punctures, from which the species 

 takes its name. 



Roots and Vegetables. 



Fig. 25.— Moth of Spotted Cutworm. 



A great number of insects have been complained of during the past season as having 

 attacked more or less root crops and vegetables. Some of the more important of these 

 are the following : 



Cutworms — The Spotted Cutworm, as the larva 

 of Noctua G nigrum, L , Fig. 25, has been inappropriately 

 called, was extremely abundant in many localities 

 along the north shore of Lake Ontario, injuring all 

 kinds of garden and root crops. This is never a rare 

 insect, but this year it was enormously abundant. The 

 brood of which larvae are found during July, was the 

 one this year which did most harm. This species 

 seemed to take the place in Ontario and resembled very 

 much in its habits and time of appearance, the Variegat- 

 ed Out- worm, Peridroma saucia, of which there has been a disastrous outbreak this sum- 

 mer all through the Province of British Columbia. The larva of Noctua C-nigrum is grey 

 or pale brownish of varying shades. When full-grown it is nearly an inch and three-quarters 

 long, rather slender, being less than a quarter of an inch at its widest part. The mark- 

 ings are difficult to describe, and vary very much in intensity. There is always a pink- 

 ish sub sfcigmatal stripe, and the whole of the dorsal area is more or less crossed and 

 darkened by indistinct blackish blotches or mottlings, which on esch segment on the 

 dorsum take somewhat the shape of the letter " M " with the top pointing towards the 

 anal end. In some specimens there is a supra-Uteral row of spots on each side gradually 

 increasing towards the anal end both in size and intensity of velvety black. On the last 

 segments these are elongated angular blotches with the apex pointing forward. There is 

 also a narrow medio-dorsal pale line and a pale lateral line on each side. However, no 

 two specimens agree exactly in ornamentation, but all have the appearance of being cov- 

 ered with a course network of black more or- less obsolete over a pale brown ground 

 colour. The moths appeared in large numbers from July till the end of the season and it 

 is most probable that the eggs are laid in late summer and autumn and that the larvse 

 hibernate half grown. 



The Variegated Out-worm {Peridroma saucia Hbn.) was also 

 found in considerable numbers, the large caterpillars nearly 

 two inches long by over a quarter of an inch wide, attacking 

 all garden plants and also doing harm in orchards upon apple 

 trees. Some pupa3 of this species (Fig. 26) with the moths 

 Fig. 26. -Variegated Cutworm: ready to emerge were found at Ottawa in the beginning of 

 pupa. November, but the weather changed immediately afterwards, 



and it is hardly likely that the whole of thid brood produced moths before winter set in. 

 The life history of this species in Canada as to hibernation is not definitely known from 

 actual observation, but from the above incident it would appear as if moths which 

 emerge in July and August, must lay their eggs (Fig. 27) and the larvae hibernate par- 

 tially grown. Moths which emerge in October and November probably pass the winter 

 in that condition, and it would also appear as if some must remain in pupa until the 

 following spring. 



