CUTWORMS AND ARMY-WORMS 265 



The Greasy Cutworm 



Agrotis ypsilon von Rottenburg 



The greasy cutworm is cosmopolitan in distribution, occurring 

 in injurious numbers in Europe, Asm, Africa, North and South 

 America, AustraHa, New Zealand, the East Indies and Hawaii. 

 The caterpillar is a general feeder. Its food plants include 

 many wild species and the following cultivated crops : corn, 

 grasses, potato, tomato, cabbage, beet, eggplant, spinach, bean, 

 squash, cauliflower, cucumber, radish, asparagus, onion, straw- 

 berry, tobacco and cotton. In the United States and Canada 

 this cutworm is usually abundant, though on the whole not so 

 injurious as some of the other species. 



Owing to the wide distribution of the insect, including many 

 life zones, its seasonal history presents many variations. In 

 North America, hibernation occurs in either the larval or pupal 

 stage. In Florida all stages of the larvae have been found 

 during mild winters and in Texas and Georgia moths have 

 been reared from pup?e plowed up in cotton fields during the 

 winter. It is quite probable that in the northern United States 

 and Canada hibernation takes place most commonly in the 

 larval stage, though winter pup?e have been recorded from 

 Illinois. 



The moths emerge over a considerable period, from June to 

 October, being most abundant in July and August. The 

 moth has an expanse of li to nearly 2 inches. The front 

 wings are dark brownish gray varying to dark brown, with 

 the apical third lighter in color and are crossed by a diagonal 

 light band in which are two black elongate spots. Near the 

 outer margin of the dark area is a characteristic U-shaped black 

 mark with a black dash extending from its outer side. The 

 hind wings are light brownish gray with a pearly luster ; the 

 veins are brown (Fig. 157). From July to September the 

 females deposit their eggs in small clusters on the leaves or 



