64 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



distinct median, sublateral, lateral and stibstigmatal, narrow, white 

 lines, the sublateral and lateral separated by a broad, yellowish, 

 brown or reddish mottled stripe and the stigmatal bordering a 

 broad, yellowish brown or reddish mottled stripe, below, which 

 in turn margins the greenish yellow, fuscous mottled ventral sur- 

 face. The area between the median and narrow sublateral white 

 line is a variable greenish with fuscous markings, there being in 

 some specimens more or less of a fuscous spot on the anterior por- 

 tion of each segment just above the lateral line. The lateral white 

 line is separated from the stigmatal line by a broad, variable dark 

 band. True legs pale yellowish ; prolegs mostly pale yellowish 

 with a more or less distinct fuscous patch externally. 



The above represents the more normal type of coloration. 

 Darker individuals are to be found with almost no trace of the 

 narrow median white line. The sublateral, yellowish brown mot- 

 tled stripe bordered by two white lines appears to be more con- 

 stant and the same is true of the narrow, stigmatal, white line and 

 its ventral margining, yellowish brown mottled band. Occasional 

 specimens have the sublateral lines nearly obsolete. 



The mahogany-brown pupa is about ^ inch long, rather stout 

 and bearing at the posterior extremity a pair of slightly converging 

 spines, and on each side thereof two fine, curved hooks. 



The adult is a very modest, reddish gray or fawn-colored moth 

 with a wing spread of about i^ inch. It may be recognized by the 

 small, rather conspicuous, somewhat triangular white spot in the 

 middle of each forewing, which latter bears at its outer margin in 

 particular a variable series of small black spots. 



Life history. The winter is normally passed in the pupal stage, 

 the moths appearing in early spring and depositing their eggs as a 

 rule on coarse vegetation. The caterpillars hatching therefrom 

 feed upon various grasses or grains, increase in size rapidly and 

 in turn transform to moths early in June. These latter deposit 

 eggs as did their predecessors, and the caterpillars hatching there- 

 from constitute a second brood which is the one that caused the 

 principal injury this season and also in 1896, though occasionally 

 the third brood is destructive in September. 



The caterpillars are very retiring in habit, remaining under shel- 

 ter most of the time. The feeding is done largely during cloudy 

 weather or at night. The young caterpillars eat away the lower 

 epidermis of the leaf nnich in the same way as do Crambid larvae, 

 beginning to eat holes in the sides of the leaves when about a week 



