192 ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



Control. — Plow the fields in late fall; plow three or four furrows 

 in front of the advancing army and kill the woims that fall into the 

 furrows; poison a narrow strip on the threatened side of field with 

 Paris green or the poisoned bran mash. 



Black Army Cutworm (Agrotis fennica Tausch). — General color 

 brown; a series of velvety black marks along middle of back; a white 

 line along each side, and a spiracular white band, reddish-brown 

 in the centre; head yellowish-red; shield black; feet pale brown. 

 May and early June. Attacks peas, clover, trees and some garden 

 vegetables (Fig. 125). 



Fall Army Worm {Laphygma Jrugiperda S. and A.). — (Consult 

 Farmers' Bull. 752, U. S. Dept. Agr.) Injurious mainly in the 

 South but periodically appearing in the North. Feeds on grasses and 

 cereal crops, cotton, alfalfa, cowpeas and other crops. 



Adult. — Wing expanse 13^^ inches; front wings dark grey, mottled, 

 and with a light grey spot near tips; hind wings white, with a pearly 

 lustre, and edged with a brown line. Body ash grey. 



Eggs. — ^Light grey and minutely ribbed. Laid in clusters of 50- 

 200 on grass blades. Hatch in 2-4 days in South, but as long as 10 

 days in the North. 



Larva. — Newly hatched larvae with jet-black heads and white bodies. 

 Full grown in 2 to 3 weeks; then striped, nearly naked and about i}^ 

 inches long. Front of head marked with an inverted Y. Assumes the 

 Army Worm habit when food becomes scarce. 



Pupa. — Golden-reddish at first but black later, living in an under- 

 ground cell. Duration 10 to 14 days. 



In the Gulf States there are 5 to 6 broods annually, but in the north- 

 ern probably not more than one. 



(c) Climbing Cutworms 



(See Bull. 104, Cornell Agr. Exp. Stn., 1895; Bull. 10, Ent. Br. Dept. 

 Agr., Can.) 



Some species of cutworms are known to have a climbing habit, 

 ascending not only fruit trees but also currants, gooseberries, tomatoes 

 etc., to feed upon the leaves and fruit. Among these are: 



White Cutworm {Lycophotia scandens Riley). — One and three- 

 fourths inches long, yellowish-grey with whitish spots; spiracles black. 



