INJURIES AND HABITS. 9 



fern crop had been damaged to the extent of $1,000. It was stated 

 that the larva would cut the plants entirely bare, and each new leaf 

 would be attacked by two or three larva? as soon as it appeared. 

 The same grower stated that these cutworms troubled his ferns the 

 previous year and that larva?, pupa^, and imagos w^ere seen through- 

 out that winter and preyed on the ferns the whole year. 



July 3, 1908, Mr. J. E. Watson called at the office, requesting 

 methods for the control of this caterpillar, which was doing great 

 injury to some fern plants {Nephrolepis whitmani) in the green- 

 house. He estimated that damage to the extent of $4,000 had been 

 caused by the" caterpillars during the previous year. During Sep- 

 tember Mr. Watson and Mr. Bartos made another complaint of this 

 species. Mr. Duder, another florist, also complained of the species. 

 A visit was made on September 28, 1908, and a number of larvae, 

 mostly full grown, some about to pupate, were secured. 



The larva spins a loose cocoon by drawing together dead leaves and 

 particles of earth next to the ground. It sometimes draws together 

 green leaves to spin the cocoon. Though not strictly a nocturnal 

 feeder it shuns bright light and is most often found feeding exposed 

 in the early morning. 



The moth is seldom seen by day and when aroused it usually flies 

 down under the benches to seclude itself. Thus many moths are 

 caught in spider webs that abound in dark corners in the greenhouses. 



Since the ravages by this species were repeated in 1908 with even 

 greater loss than in 1907, two growers stated that unless some imme- 

 diate steps could be taken to check the pest the raising of ferns in 

 local greenhouses would be abandoned. 



The caterpillars seem to do the greatest damage early in the year, 

 especially during May, but owing to the uniformly warm temperature 

 of the greenhouses, winter as well as summer, there is no time when 

 they are scarce enough to allow the ferns to put out a full head of 

 fronds. They attack the tender leaves, especially the growing tips 

 of young fronds, thus checking any attempt on the part of a plant to 

 replenish the dying fronds with a new growth, and so far stunting it 

 as to render it of no commercial value. 



From larva^ obtained in September the moths began to issue October 

 26, continuing to emerge until November 19. The pupal stage was 

 ascertained to be in three cases 23, 25, and 27 days, respectively, in 

 cool October weather. 



October 13, 1909, Mr. H. Walter McWilliams, Griffin, Ga., fur- 

 nished specimens of this caterpillar, found on ferns, and stated that 

 it cuts the fronds and injured the sale of the plants. 



January 18. 1910, Mr. John J. Davis ^ reported this species to be a 

 serious pest on greenhouse ferns in Illinois. It was first reported 



1 Journ. Econ. Ent., vol. 3, p. 183, 1910. 



