iRRAXA. 



Page 60, line 15 from bottom, ior fresh (iir-sla/:ed read freshly shihed. 

 Page ()8, line 8, for (i read 50. 



V. S. n. A., v.. v.. P.iil. r.(>. rart V. Issued .Taiuijiry 28, 1909. 



SOME INSFXTS INIURIOUS TO TRUCK CROl'S. 



THE SEMITROPICAL ARMY WORM. 



i l'iti(l<iii(i (:>:iihn\i(i <"i'!iiii. ) 



By F. II. ( "inn KNDKN miuI II. .M. ItrssKi.i.. 



INTRODUCTION. 



During the suiuiner of 1!>07 a smooth or hairless caterpillar (Pro- 

 denia ertd(t)ila Cram.) related to the cotton cutworm came under the 

 observation of the junior author at Orlando, Fla. It was observed 

 attacking the foliage and, in many cases, the slems and fruits of all 

 forms of garden truck grown in that vicinity, the list inchuling 

 tomato, i:)otato, sweet-potato, eggplant, pepper, okra, collards, and 

 cowpeas. The infestation was of considerable severity, and great in- 

 jury was done in fields and gardens in that and in some other regions 

 of Florida, notably at St. Augustine and on the west coast of the 

 Manatee Kiver. What is believed to be the same species Avas reported 

 injurious in Porto Rico by Mr. "\V. V. Tower. Aside from a brief 

 notice which has been made of the present invasion there does not 

 appear to be any other record of the injurious habits of this species; 

 hence the following account has l)een prepared for publication by the 

 senior author. The chapters on recent injuries, natural enemies, and 

 experiments with remedies have been compiled from the junior au- 

 thor's notes. The technical descriptions of the egg and larva have 

 been prepared by Dr. H. G. Dyar. while other assistance in the prep- 

 aration of this article is duly acknowledged in its propef place. 



In ordinary seasons the species under consideration confines itself 

 largely to weeds, among which are the poke-weed, spiny amaranth 

 or careless weed of the South, and a wild Solanum. It has habit>^ 

 diiferent from those of the northern cutworms and i-an scarcely be 

 classified with the climbing cutworms, although it has the climbing 

 habit. It has a decided tendency to travel in armies like the army 

 worms and is practically confined to semitropical regions. It is 

 remarkable as being injurious tliroughout the warm season and breed- 

 ing continuously, there being evidently at least foni- generation^ a 

 year in nature. 



OG— V .-,;; 



