59 



Ichneumon comes Cr. was reared from the pupa of this cutworm 

 Juno 5, the host having transformed to pupa May 7, li»0(). Locality, 

 Marshall Hall, Md. 



Ajxtnteles sp. (near r/lo?ner(/ti/.s) has been bred from a larva of this 

 moth in about 60 individuals. April 7 the host larva was found dead 

 ;ind the parasites spun up in a white tlocculent mass of cocoons, meas- 

 urino- a little less than an inch in diameter and half an inch in thick- 

 ness. From this mass the adult parasites issued April 23. ' 



REMEDIKS. 



The spotted cutworm is amenable to the same remedies prescribed 

 for use against the variegated cutworm treated in preceding pages. 



THE COMMELINA OWLET MOTH. 



[rr(i(h'ii'ta coiiiiiii'l'i ii:i' S. <.t A.) 



A conspicuously marked caterpillar that preys upon violets is pro- 

 duced by a moth which Smith and Abbot descril)ed over a century 

 ago under the name of Phalcena commelince. Comparatively little is 

 known of its food habits, but what has been learned shows that it is 

 inclined to be omnivorous, as it has been found to be destructive to 

 the foliage of sweet potato and cotton, and to attack asparagus and 

 raspberry among cultivated plants. It is one of three species of 

 Prodenia which inha])it the Central Atlantic States, but are more 

 numerous in the Gulf States, 



In their more northerii range these larva? appear to be more diurnal 

 than most cutworms, and are frequently to be found in shady places 

 in the afternoon feeding in free exposure upon their food plants. 

 Their normal habit is evidently crepuscular and they are rather pocu- 

 liarl}^ solitary, and perhaps for these reasons they attract little atten- 

 tion on account of injuries. The genus, however, is well known on 

 account of the striking colors of the larvre as well as of the mature 

 insects or moths. 



DESCEIPTIVE, 



The moth. — The adult of this species may readily be distinguished 

 from its two more common congeners, which are here considered, by 

 its greater wing-expanse, darker colors, and less complicated markings. 

 The color of the fore-wings is, in fresh specimens, moderateh^ dark 

 rich brown, velvety in the darkest portions, where it is variegated with 

 black in transverse lines, paler purplish l)rown, aiid dull vellow and 

 ochreous. The pattern formed is illusti-ated at tigure 20, a and tigure 

 1 of Plate IV. The thorax is similarly colored, as is also the head, and 

 the abdomen is paler, more uniform, grayish brown. It is rather wide 

 and tapers strongly toward the tip. The hind-wings are pale })earl- 

 grav with a strong violet iriclesce.ncc, which is visible also on the lower 



