30 SOME INSECTS INJURIOUS TO TRUCK CROPS. 



tained, but it was about the 21st of October, which would give a 

 period for the pupa of ten months, as the moths of this lot began 

 issuing August 21." 



One individual transformed to pupa October 17 and the imago 

 issued August 24 of the following year. 



October 15, 1898, the larva was brought to the writer by Mr. P. H. 

 Dorsett, from his greenhouse at Garrett Park, Md., where the species 

 was feeding on the foliage of violet. The same year, November 3, 

 this larva was found rather abundantly by Doctor Howard in tobacco 

 fields in southern Virginia, near the North Carolina border line, upon 

 the leaves, which in some cases were badly ragged.'' The first moths 

 issued in July. 



During 1900 and 1901 correspondence was had in regard to this 

 caterpillar with Mr. H. Walter McWilliams, Griffin, Ga., who sent 

 specimens, as also larva? of the sc5-called cotton cutworm {Prodenia 

 ornithogalli Guen.), with which the insect was "associated in both 

 years. The caterpillars were noticed there in greatest numbers during 

 November, and both species were reported as destroying a number of 

 garden crops, among which were cabbage, collards, turnip, ruta-baga, 

 rape, peas and related plants, as also some other vegetables. Mature 

 larvjB were seen as late as the last week of November. 



Among other office records are two which also have a bearing on 

 the biology of this species. One of these was made by Mr. Theo. 

 Pergande, who found the larvae in the District of Columbia feeding 

 on blackberry and on flowers of a goldenrod {Solidago sp.). The 

 other is a short note by Mr. F. M. Webster upon the rearing of the 

 moth in spring from the seed pods of milkweed (Asclepias incar- 

 nata), near Lafayette, Ind. " The larva appeared to subsist upon the 

 seeds, the pods being attached unopened to the wrecked plant." *■ 



October 21 the larva was found at Washington, D. C. We have no 

 further records in regard to the habits of this species other than the 

 capture of moths in the District of Columbia July 25, August 22 and 

 25, and September 2, and there are specimens also in the U. S. 

 National Museum from Lewis County, N. Y., July 4, collected by 

 O. Meske, and others from New Jersey without definite locality. The 

 species is also said to occur at Portland, Oregon. It is interesting to 

 note that among these specimens are inflated larvae and mounted 

 heads labeled " pretty cutworm," which might be termed a manu- 



« The rearing jar was kept under somewhat unnatural conditions, at times 

 too warm and dry, l)ut the effect of one condition might have been counteracted 

 by another, and the date of issuance of the adults was not far from that which 

 would be assumed in nature — more lilvcly earlier than otherwise. 



6 Yearbook U. S. Dept. Agric. for 1898, p. 142. 



c Insect Life, Vol. II, p. 382, 1890. 



