INJURIOUS TO CABBAGE AND RELATED CROPS 21 



The Zebra Caterpillar 



Mamestra picta Harris 



In the northern United States and Canada east of the 100th 

 meridian, a black, yellow-striped caterpillar is often seen in 

 June and July and again in the fall feeding on the leaves of 

 many garden plants. Its __ ..^, .^. ...^ 



Fig. 17, 



^m^ 



Full-grown zebra caterpillar 

 (X i). 



striking colors often attract 

 attention but the insect 

 rarely becomes injurious 

 except occasionally on cab- 

 bage and celery. The full- 

 grown caterpillar is about two inches in length, black, with 

 bright yellow stripes on each side of the body (Fig. 17). 

 The back between the yellow stripes is dotted with fine 

 yellow spots and the space between the yellow bands on the 

 side is crossed by fine slightly reticulated yellow lines. The 



head, legs and underside of 

 the body are dark red. 



The caterpillars become 

 mature in about a month 

 and then enter the ground 

 where in slight silken co- 

 coons they transform to 

 shining brown pupse about 

 f inch in length. In the 

 summer the pupal period 

 is two or three weeks. The 

 moth has an expanse of 1| to If inches. The front wings are 

 purplish brown with a shade of light brown across the hind 

 part of the wing. The round and reniform spots are gray. 

 The hind wings are white edged with brown on the front and 

 outer margins (Fig. 18). The moth deposits her globular, 



Fig. 



18. — Moth of the zebra caterpillar 

 (XU). 



