Twelfth Report op the State Entomologist 207 



On September 26th, larvte of the third brood were reported as com- 

 mitting serious ravages on the farm of Jacob Harder, Ghent, N. Y., 

 where the second brood had been destructive in July.* A number of 

 the larvae were sent to my office, of which the last buried for pupation, 

 about October 12th. Moths from these began to emerge the 27th, and 

 continued to do so until November 21st. During this time, 77 moths 

 made their appearance, coming out most abundantly from November 

 2nd to the loth. The appearance of the adults so late in the season, 

 renders it quite probable that they hibernate in the imago state in Al- 

 bany, as has been observed at Cambridge, Mass,, although a portion 

 of the brood may also winter as pupae. According to Dr. Howard, the 

 insect may exceptionally pass the winter in the egg in some of the 

 Southern States. It will be seen that these observations on the life- 

 history of this insect agree quite closely with those of Prof. Weed, at 

 Durham, New Hampshire ; and other observations render it probable that 

 there are ordinarily three broods each year in the other New England 

 States, with the exception of northern Maine. In New Jersey, Dr. 

 Smith reports three generations as the normal number in the northern 

 portion of the State, while in the southern part a fourth is by no means 



unusual. 



Summary of Life-history, 



' The life-history of the army-worm, so far as known .in this State and 

 the vicinity, may be briefly summarized as follows : Overwintered moths or 

 recently emerged ones, which may have hibernated as larvae, or possibly 

 pupae, deposit eggs early in the spring, and from them the first brood of 

 larvae develop. From their comparatively small number, they rarely 

 prove very destructive and are consequently unnoticed. They mature, 

 pupate, and the adults emerge and lay the eggs from which is produced 

 the second brood. These in turn become nearly full-grown early in July, 

 and we have the brood usually destructive, and the one which committed 

 such widespread ravages in the State the present year. Pupation occurs 

 in July and the moths emerge early in August. They deposit eggs the 

 latter part of the month, and early in September the third brood makes 

 its appearance, and by the latter part of the month they are full-grown. 

 This is the brood which was quite destructive the present season, at 

 Ghent, N. Y., pupating the last of September, or early in October, — the 

 moths emerging the last of October and into November, and most prob- 

 ably passing the winter in the imago state. 



♦They were also reported as destructive on several farms in Berlin, Bolton, Northboro, and 

 other places in Worcester county, Mass., during the last of the month. 



