58 



LIFE HISTORY AND HABITS. 



The European food plants which have lieen recorded for this species 

 include Rumex (dock or sorrel), Sfe/Iar/'a media (chickweed), Primula 

 (primrose), Thalictrum (meadow rue), Ejyilolnum palustre^ Mj^osotis, 

 Verbascum, and Lamium. 



Chickweed, in the writer's experience, is the favorite food of this 

 as well as some other cutworms. Violets are quite subject to attack, 

 as are also cabbage and tomato, ferns, goldenrod, rhubarb. Lobelia, 

 Helianthus, chicory {(■Jchorhiu) intyhuK)^ currant, celery, corn, grasses, 

 and clo^'er. The fruit of tomato is sometimes injured. Young larvae 

 devour their own eggshells, and a larva has been seen to feed upon the 

 Qgg pods of locusts. 



The species frequently assumes the climl)ing, and, less often, what 

 is known as the army -worm habit. 



It seems probable, from what the writer has been able to learn from 

 experience and inquiry, that the larva? are rather partial to the foliage 

 of some fruit trees, since they are so frequently found in orchards, 

 but the climbing habit has been noticed only in a few localities. 



The life history of this species has never been full}' traced, but, 

 from the oljservations of Messrs. Coquillett, French, and Forl)es in 

 Illinois, it is evidentl}" two-brooded, at least in the northern portion 

 of that state. The imagos of the Jirst generation appear in May and 

 early June, and those of the second late in July and in August. It is 

 proved beyond peradventure that hibernation takes place in the larval 

 condition; probably onl}" in this stage and not as pupa or moth. As 

 an example of development in midsummer. Professor Forbes states 

 (Sixteenth lleport State Entom. 111., 1890, p. 80) that ten larva?, taken 

 from cabl)age July 16, entered the earth for pupation July 25 and 

 emerged as adults August 15 to 1!), these individuals having remained 

 in the earth from twenty-one to twenty -five days. Forbes has observed 

 that this species rarely appears at electric lights, an observation that 

 is borne out by the writer's experience also, 



Injur}^ by this cutworm appears to be done chiefly b}- the hibernated 

 or spring generation, the larvse doing little if any appreciable damage 

 in the autumn. In Illinois larvffi are said not to be particularly 

 troublesome after the first part of Ma3\ Larvro have been observed 

 in the fields in and near the District of Columbia late in November 

 and have been kept feeding in rearing cages out of doors exposed 

 to the weather as late as January, in which respect this cutworm 

 resembles Peridroma sauoia, also a European impoi'tation. 



NATURAL ENEMIES. 



This cutworm being one of several species which sometimes rest 

 during the day under stones, it is at such times sought out b}' parasitic 

 insects for the deposition of their eggs. 



