144 FIRST ANi^UAL REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Resume of the Life-History of the Species- 



The following is a resume of the history of Crambus vulgivagelluSy 

 as it occurs in Northern New York, so far as we are prepared to give it; 



The eggs are deposited in dry upland pastures and meadows during 

 the latter part of August, and hatch in about ten days. 



The young larvae feed sparingly, and after one or two moltings they 

 retire to winter quarters. 



The hibernated larvffi commence feeding in the spring with the 

 starting of the grass. When unusually numerous, their depredations 

 attract attention during the second week in May, by rapidly-extending 

 brown patches in pastures, from which the grass has been eaten down 

 to the crown, but leaving the roots unharmed. 



Their principal food-plant is grass (June-grass preferred). They 

 also eat oats and wheat. 



They feed principally by night, having rarely been seen engaged in 

 feeding. 



When not feeding, the larva occupies a cylindrical case or tube just 

 beneath the surface of the ground, the upper portion of which is com- 

 posed of bits of green grass cut for the purpose (possibly of escrementa), 

 and fastened together by slight spinning. 



The depredations, when serious, are conspicuously noticeable when 

 the larvae are about three-fourths grown — about the middle of May. 



When nearly mature, the larvse, from some unknown cause, some- 

 times congregate in immense numbers on the trunks of trees, near the 

 ground. 



When mature, about the 25th of May, they abandon their green 

 cases, and build long and subcylindrical earthen cocoons, placed up- 

 right in the ground just beneath the surface. 



They remain unchanged in the cocoons for two months or more, 

 through June and July, when they transform to pupae. 



The pupal state continues for about two weeks. 



The moths commence to emerge during the first" week in August, 

 and are abundant about the 20th of August in pastures and meadows 

 where the larvae abounded. 



The larva is not subject to serious parasitic attack during its later 

 stages ; the proportion of parasites obtained from the cocoons is very 

 small. In the earlier stages, continued rains, deficient food-supply, 

 ants, and carabid beetles destroy many larvae. 



Natural Enemies. 



It is not to be expected that the first year of insect attack should be 

 marked by the presence of many natural enemies. Successive years at- 



