OWLET-MOTHS. 167 
surface of its body. It attains its full growth about the 
middle of June, when it measures an inch and a quarter or 
more in length. The head is small, green, the jaws tipped 
with brown; the surface of the body is vellowish-green, a lit- 
tle paler between the joints; there is a white stripe down the 
back, and two of the same color along each side, the lowest 
one being most’ distinct. On each segment there are several 
small white dots, fromeach of which arises a single fine hair. 
The under side is deeper in color than the upper. When ma- 
ture it changes a little under the surface of the ground toa 
brown chrysalis, from which the perfect insect escapes in 
July. 
The moth measures, when its wings are spread, about 
an inch and a quarter across. Its fore-wings are grayish- 
brown, with a silky lustre, with several palé dots on the 
front edge, and three short dark streaks near the middle. 
The hind-wings are paler. 
When found to be injurious the caterpillars may be sub- 
dued by hand-picking or by the use of arsenical poisons. 
THE STALK BORER. 
(Gortyna nitela Gu.). 
In 1898 the caterpillars of this insect were very common 
and injurious in Minnesota. They not only destroyed much 
wheat straw in many places, but also caused great injury 
to the canes of raspberries and blackberries, which they hol- 
lowed out so that the infested parts of the plants wilted 
(Fig. 166, Plate X XIII). They also bored in the stems of the 
tomato, potato, spinach, aster and others, and even twigs: 
of apple trees did not escape. The worms devoured in some 
cases the fruit of the strawberry. Besides useful plants, 
weeds also were destroyed by these voracious feeders. 
As long as the caterpillars are still young they are of a 
livid hue with bright stripes along the body, the one on the 
