THE STRIPED BEET CATERPILLAR. 15 



The mature larvte (tig. 4. h) are about \\ inches in length and are 

 dull green, with a more or less distinct pinkish stripe along each side. 

 The larva? are voracious feeders. AVhen infesting sugar beets they 

 prefer the older leaves, and the infested foliage may be entireh' con- 

 sumed, with the exception of the petioles. The full-grown larvse 

 burrow into the soil to the depth of about an inch and form pupa- 

 tion cells in the earth In^ wriggling about. 



The pupa? (fig. 4, c) are ''chunk}','' reddish brown, and about nine- 

 sixteenths of an inch in length. 



LIFE HISTORY. 



There are three generations of this insect in the Arkansas Valley 

 each year. The first moths are to be found during the latter half 

 of May. These deposit eggs, from which a generation develops 

 during the first part of July. Eggs deposited by the July genera- 

 tion produce moths during the latter part of August and in early 

 September. The larva^ of the third generation mature late in the 

 fall, and the pup<e which develop live through the winter in cells 

 in the soil. Adults develop from these pupse during the latter half 

 of Maj' of the following year. 



REARING RECORDS. 



During 1911 and 1012 the following rearing records were obtained 

 in the laboratory at Rocky Ford. Colo. 



On June 1. 1011, a few eggs were collected in the field from sugar 

 beets. They were deposited singly on the underside of the leaves. 

 The record is as follows: 



Junel Eggs collected. 



June o Eggs hatchetl. 



June 19 Larvfe reached maturity. 



June 21 First pupa' formed. 



July 2 First adults issued. 



From the foregoing records tlie stages are as follows: 



Days. 

 Egg Stage 4 



Larval stage 16 



Pupal stage H 



Total -^l 



On June 7, 1911, two apparently mature larvae were collected in the 

 field from sugar beets. They burrowed into the soil and formed 

 their pupation cells June 9 and pupated June 11. The adults issued 

 June 20. In this case the pupal period was 18 daj^s. 



September 17, 1011, a female moth captured at Rocky Ford was 

 placed in a cage ccmtaining sugar-beet foliage, alfalfa blossoms, and 



