200 Fiftieth Eeport on the State Museum 



summer, " The Weekly Chronicle " reported ravages of the army-worm 

 in July in the vicinity of Stockton, California. If the latter report can 

 be regarded as authentic, it is safe to infer that the insect is, or may occur 

 very soon, in every State in the Union. 



Living specimens were also observed to issue from Mexican cereals 

 exhibited at the World's Fair held at Chicago. 



It has been recorded from the Island of Jamaica, and will probably be 

 found in other islands of the West Indies. Other localities are: various 

 parts of South America, — Venezuela, United States of Colombia, and 

 Brazil; Isle of Wight; Lewes, South England; Maderia; Province of 

 Nepaul, North India; Java; several places in Australia; New Zealand 

 and Tasmania. Leuca7iia nnipimcfa may well be deemed cosmopolitan, 

 although only in the United States does its ravages attract much attention. 



Description of the Insect. 



Although the insect is a common one, and occurs in considerable num- 

 bers each year in the State of New York, yet from its seldom attracting 

 particular attention, owing to its ordinary nocturnal habits, it appears to 

 be known to very few persons other than entomologists. The following 

 account of its features in its several stages may serve as a guide to its 

 recognition. 



The eggs. — They will rarely be seen by the ordinary farmer, but when 

 met with, they may be recognized from the following characters : They 

 are smooth, white when first laid, turning gradually to a pale straw color 

 before hatching, about 0.023 inch in diameter, and usually deposited in 

 masses glued together by an adhesive substance. They may be found 

 between the leaf-sheath and the stem of grasses, — the toughest stalks in 

 the thickest clumps being preferred for their place of deposit They are 

 also at times, laid on other herbage, on dead stems, sticks, and in other 

 less favorable places when the moths are abundant. 



The young caterpillars. — They are rarely seen and yet it is of great im- 

 portance that the farmer should be able to recogHize them before ex- 

 tensive depredations have proclaimed their true character. The recently 

 hatched army-worms are about 0.07 of an inch (1.7 mm.) long and of a 

 dull translucent white color. The head is brownish-black or yellowish 

 with dark eyes. On both head and body there are minute scattering 

 hairs. The young larvae walk in a looping manner, as the two anterior 

 pairs of abdominal legs are atrophied. 



After the first molt the larvae are about 0.2 of an inch (5 mm.) long. 

 The head is a little darker in some cases and the striping seen in the full 



