876 Journal of Agricultural Research voi.v1.No.23 



the sun's rays during the late afternoon many moths could be seen flying 

 or walking along the surface of the soil. The moths were repeatedly seen 

 to fly into the field from the grasslands or stubble fields adjoining and 

 stop in the tilled field, where they immediately began to lay eggs. Several 

 times they laid eggs on the bare earth of the roads on the college farm. 



The moths also laid eggs in one field on the college farm just after it 

 was plowed. Not once was a moth seen to lay eggs on any green plant 

 or in any green field or stubble field; nor were any eggs found in such 

 fields. Again and again, while watching the moths laying eggs at close 

 range in the tilled field, they were seen to pass close by different kinds of 

 vegetation without pausing. It was perfectly evident that they pre- 

 ferred to lay the eggs in the soil. By being careful one could witness the 

 egg laying in detail by following along on hands and knees as a moth 

 alternately paused to lay eggs and walked for a short distance. By far 

 the greater number of the eggs were placed on the surface of the soil, often 

 on small clods of earth, the moth standing on the clod and bending the 

 abdomen downward and often tucking the eggs on the underside of the 

 clod. Generally one or two eggs were laid on one spot, a few seconds 

 being taken for the process. Sometimes but not always the moth frisked 

 the tip of the abdomen back and forth sidewise repeatedly across the 

 spot where the eggs were laid, thus dusting them and leaving a few scales 

 from the clothing of the insect. The bright, glistening- white eggs are thus 

 obscured. Some of the eggs were laid just beneath the surface of the 

 soil. This could be done only where the soil had been pulverized, and 

 in accomplishing it the ovipositor is thrust down through the surface of 

 the soil and left for a few seconds. It is difficult to find such eggs under 

 the surface of the soil, even when the spot is seen and the examination is 

 made at once. One egg was found on a piece of dead straw. Generally 

 only one to three were laid in one place, but in one case a moth deposited 

 many eggs in soft soil within the space of a few square inches. 



From the number of moths seen on the field and the number of days 

 egg laying continued, it was roughly estimated that at least one or two 

 eggs per square foot were laid in this field. By carefully searching a 

 spot selected at random, eggs, almost certainly of this species, could be 

 found. Four different persons, including the writer, have found eggs 

 on the soil without having seen the moths deposit them. Both sexes 

 were found among the moths captured in the field during the period of 

 egg laying. 



From these observations it can not be said that the eggs are neces- 

 sarily always laid on bare or broken soil. In fact, it is almost certain 

 that they are sometimes laid in abundance where newly plowed or newly 

 harrowed soil is not available. A field of alfalfa badly infested with these 

 cutworms was seen in Utah by the writer in May of the present year 

 (1916), but no soil that could have been plowed last fall was anywhere in 

 the vicinity. However, the stand of alfalfa was very scattering, leaving 



