THE SEMITROPICAL ARMY WORM. 



59 



at this time were frequently found full of holes, the work of these 

 larva?. The following day, July 4, the amaranth was almost com- 

 pletely denuded, illustrating the rapid work of this species when in 

 large numbers (see figs. 10, 11). By July 8 the larvae had almost 

 completed their work in the field, after having eaten everything 

 clean. Many were full grown and had connnenced to enter the 

 ground. July 9 the potato field was stripped, the vines were dead 

 and dry, and the larva> had almost disappeared. The ground was 

 full of pupa^, none of them at a greater depth than 4 inches, and in 



'"^^^^^^^^^ 



Fig. 9. — Tho semitropical army worm {Proilenia eridania) ; Work of Iarv:u on " carclpss 

 weed " in potato field ; 311 larvw were on this plant when photographed. (Original.) 



man}' cases only 2 inches. Upon digging into the hills, it was found 

 that the}' /:lid not average more than four good-sized potatoes to the 

 hill, and in many cases these had been rendered useless by the inroads 

 of the larvre. (This crop averaged small because of late planting.) 

 Many larva? were found feeding on sweet potatoes at Mr. John M. 

 Cheney's place at this time, most of them still in young stages. A 

 few fully matured larva? also were found, showing the overlapping 

 of the two generations; in fact, observations conducted both in the 



