402 



INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 



body and legs are light buff; the antennae are dusky. The length is 

 about f inch ; the wing expanse If inches. The caterpillars are velvety 



black on the dorsum with 

 two prominent and many 

 delicate fine, bright yellow 

 stripes on the sides. The 

 ventral surface is reddish- 

 brown. When fully-matured 

 they are from H to 2 inches 

 long. The pupa? are rich 

 reddish-brown and average 1 

 inch long. 



Life History. — Very little 

 is known concerning the life 

 history of this armyworm. 

 The moths appear early in 

 the spring and deposit eggs 

 which soon hatch into the 

 caterpillars. These were 

 very abundant during May 

 and June of 1914 and became 

 quite destructive. Pupation 

 takes place in the ground, be- 

 ginning the last of May and 

 adults issuing by the middle 

 of June. There are probably 

 two broods a year, the first 

 spring brood being the 

 largest and most destructive. 

 Nature of Work. — The 

 work of this caterpillar is 

 typical of that of any of the 

 armyworms and consists in 

 the devouring of the foliage 

 and tender stems of the host 

 plants. 



Distribution. — The exact 

 distribution of this pest is 

 not well known. During the 

 past year (1914) it has been 

 reported from the following 

 counties : Shasta, Sutter and 

 Yolo. In 1913 it was re- 

 ceived from Modoc County. 

 It is evidently distributed 

 throughout the central and northern parts of the State, at least. 



Food Plants. — The following food plants are reported for the years 

 1913-1914: alfalfa (quite seriously injured), grapevines (very seri- 

 ously injured), hawthorn (slightly injured) and watermelon (seri- 

 ously injured). Practically all of the damage was done between the 

 middle of May and the middle of June. 



Fig. 404. — The yellow-striped armyworm, 

 Prodenia prwfica Grote. Larvae, pupae and 

 adult. Slightly enlarged. (Original) 



