3 July, 1911-] Insects Destructive to Crops. 455 



Male. — Len<fth, 2.25mm. Resembles the female, but with the thorax and abdo^ 

 ■men almo.st entirely black, and with the postpetiole rather sculptured throughout. 



Tyfe. — Locality, Panmure, near Warrnambool, Australia. Type Cat., No. 13642, 

 U.S.N.M. This species was also collected or reared as parasite of a species of 

 Leptops at Mount Cole, Ararat, Australia, by H. W. Davey. 



The larva has somewhat the appearance of Figure 12 in Ratzebury's second 

 volume of Ichneumonen der Forstinsecten. A series of some fifty-five imagoes shows 

 less variation than is credited to P. secalis, Haliday. 



For the benefit oT those who may not have access to Marshall's Monograph of 

 British Braconidce, it may be stated that this species belongs to the category with 

 the first submarginal cell confluent with the first discoidal, radial cell with its tip 

 a little nearer the stigma than the ti]) of the wing, and with three-jointed labial 

 palpi. 



INSECTS DESTlllCTIVE TO CROPS. 



CUT WORMS. 



C. French, jiin., Assistant Government Entomologist. 



During the past season numerous inquiries for information in regard to 

 the above mentioned in.sects and tlie best means for destroying the same have 

 been received. The Climbing Cut ^^'orm {Mamesta evingi) has been very 

 prevalent, grain crops, barle}' in particular, being badly attacked. Other 

 Cut Worms — Agrotis (several species), HeUothis, armigera, Leucania, and 

 others — have also been much in evidence Cut Worms are amongst the most 

 troublesome insects growers have to deal with, and every year they are the 

 cause of much destruction on farms, vineyards, and gardens. Wheat, oats, 

 barley, maize, vines, plums, tomatoes, onions, beans, cabbages, and pota- 

 toes are all subject to attack. 



Cut Worms are also known as Cut Worm Caterpillars, Lcoper Caterpil- 

 lars, Armv Worms, Take-all Grubs. &c. They are variable in colour, especi- 

 ally the larvae of the Tomato Moth. The latter vary from green to yellowish, 

 l)Ut most of the Agrotis are of a dirty greyish or light-brown colour, with- 

 out hairs or spines, smooth, and greasy looking, often being of a similar 

 colour to the ground in which thev hibernate. Some of the cut worms feed 

 both day and night, whilst others hibernate just under the soil, or under 

 logs, stones, bags, bark, and rubbi.sh during the day and feed during the 

 night. When thev are fully grown (which takes a couple of weeks), and 

 until they are ready to pupate, the pupa is of a dirty reddish-brown colour, 

 sometimes almost black. After pupating, they remain in the ground, in 

 the warm weather, from ten to fifteen days before the moths emerge ; in 

 the cold weather, the period is much longer. 



Life History. 



There are at least two broods of cut worm moths in a season, l)ut further 

 observations will be necessary before the number is finally ascertained. The 

 moths usually fly about at dusk and deposit their eggs on any suitai>le 

 |)lant. The eggs hatch in a few days, and thr young cut worms start to 

 feed at once, anv kind of green food being greedily eaten by them. Even 

 when the grain is just sprouting it is attacked, and ()ften they will eat right 

 into the husk. 



Thi- coloured jilate sliows .sonn- of the I'oninion iiu worm moths, .md also 

 two other species of closely allied noctuids (night moths). In the museum 

 of economic entomology and ornithology of this Department are specimens 

 of all the Victorian cut worm moths, their eggs, and larvae. The collection 

 may be insportcd by all interested. 



