New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 561 



■with darker stripes of the same color. This variation in color may 

 easily lead to much confusion, in the mind of the novice, concern- 

 ing the identity of the specimens. However, although there is con- 

 siderable variation in color there are some markings which, it is said, 

 can always be depended upon, namely, eight round shining black 

 spots on each segment of the body, from which arise short brown 

 hairs, and the longitudinal stripes above referred to. A full grown 

 larva is about one and a half inches long. 



The larvse of this first brood do not go very deep into the ground 

 to pupate, but spin loose silken cocoons very near or even upon the 

 surface, sometimes being protected only by a loose chunk of dirt or 

 a bit of rubbish. The pupa or resting state, at this time, laBts 

 between one and two weeks. 



On Long Island, the moths of the first brood appear about the 

 time that early sweet corn is in roasting ears, depositing their eggs 

 usually on the silk upon which the young larvse feed for a short 

 time, when they burrow down to the milky kernels. These they 

 eat partially or entirely off in patches. The damage done, however, 

 is not confined to the kernels actually eaten, but the fermentation 

 and decay resulting from the exudation of sap, together with the 

 droppings of the confined worms make a convenient hot-bed for the 

 germination and growth of mould, and a breeding place for numer- 

 ous species of small insects which are attracted to such places. Thus 

 a wliole ear may be made unfit for use although but few kernels 

 have been eaten. The number of worms in a single ear may vary 

 from one to six or eight. We may add here, that although the 

 worms seem to prefer the corn when in the milk, they are not in- 

 frequently found, in the fall, feeding on hard corn. 



As above intimated, the fall brood of caterpillars when ready to 

 pupate, descend to the ground and burrow to a depth of from four 

 to six inches. Here each caterpillar makes for itself an oblong 

 earthen cell, inside of which a cocoon is spun consisting of coarse 

 silk interwoven with bits of dirt. In these snug retreats they finally 

 change to the pupa or dormant state and, thus protected, are pre- 

 pared to pass the winter, issuing in the spring as moths. Fig. 4, d, 

 represents the cocoon, natural size, cut open lengthwise. 



Description of the moth. — The moth is described by Dr. C. V. 

 Riley in his Third Missouri Report, page 107, as follows : " In this 

 last and perfect stage the insect is quite variable in depth of shading 

 36 



