THE INSECT WORLD. 



297 



Vw,. 



pale clay-yellow, with a narrow, silver-gray margin to the outer 

 edge of the fore-wing. There is also a dusky stripe through 

 its centre, surmounted by a white 

 streak, which gives the specific 

 name albilinca, or "white lined." 

 Practical measures against this in- 

 sect are difficult. Wliere the stage 

 of the grain warrants it in any way, 

 the best thing is to cut it at once. 

 This will save further injury, and the 

 insects will distribute themselves to 

 localities where their mischief will 

 not count so heavily. As with the 

 previous species, increase is depend- 

 ent upon conditions which we do 

 not entirely understand, and here 

 also the parasites ordinarily obtain 

 control before the year is out. 



Tlie wandering habit is somewhat 

 developed in this species as well, 

 and frequently they start in grass 

 lands and emigrate to adjacent 

 grain-fields when the wheat-heads 

 are well advanced. 



An insect somewhat similar in 

 appearance in the caterpillar stage is 

 the "fall army-worm," Laphygnia 

 frugiperda. It is smaller, however, 

 the head dark with a prominent, 

 white, V-mark, while the lines are 

 different and the body is covered 

 with rather well marked black tuber- 

 cles, giving rise to short, stiff", black 

 hair. The creature is a general 

 feeder, and appears in greatest num- 

 bers late in the season in fields of 



dense vegetation of almost any kind. In general habits it does 

 not differ much from the species already described, and, like 

 them, it goes underground to pupate. There are always two, 



The wheat-head army-worm. — 

 a, a, eating out a head of grain ; b, 

 eggs under a leaf sheath ; enlarged 

 at c, d ; the moth, Leucania albilinea, 

 surmounting all. 



