12 Farmers’ Bulletin 1206. 
and highly polished. It is rather stout, about three-fourths inch long, 
and its last abdominal segment is supplied with two slender 
spines known as the cremaster. The time spent in this stage varies 
from 8 to 14 days during summer, and is much longer in early spring 
and in the late fall. The insect passes the winter in the pupa stage, 
and the moth emerges 
early the following 
spring—earlier in the 
southern regions than 
in more northerly 
ones. 
THE MOTH OR 
ADULT. 
The moth of the 
corn earworm (fig. 9) 
is about three-fourths 
of an inch long with 
a wing expanse of 
about one and three- 
fifths inches. The 
moths are of different 
colors, the variation 
being sexual. Because 
this appears not to 
have been noticed 
heretofore, a brief de- 
scription of the color 
of the two sexes fol- 
lows: 
The males are a 
light to a dull olive 
with dusky spots on 
the forewings and a 
circular spot with a black center about midway between the apex 
and base on the costal angle of either wing. The hindwings have 
dusky bands near their outer angles. Veins of the hindwings are 
prominent and dark. 
The females are fawn-colored with irregular spots of black on the 
forewings, often having dark bands near the outer angles of these 
wings. The circular ring so conspicuous in the forewing of the male 
is almost wanting or if present is merely a solid dark spot. The hind- 
wings have broader and darker bands near their apical angles than 
those of the males. 
Fig. 9.—Moths of corn earworm resting on corn ear. 
