New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 635 



It can be seen from the above references that the exact time 

 at which the moth of this species of cutworm deposits its eggs 

 is not known. For reasons which follow it is believed that the 

 eggs are deposited later in the fall than generally supposed and 

 do not hatch until the following spring. First, when the cut- 

 worms commenced their work in the spring of 1890 (about 

 May 1), it was found that they were noil only migrating from the 

 margins of the fields, but there were spots within the fields 

 where they were numerous and doing a large amount of damage. 

 Examination of these spots showed that the spots were covered 

 with debris, weeds, etc., left by the high water. At just what 

 time during the winter or spring the lands had been overflowed 

 from the ditches could not be determined. It is barely possible 

 that the worms were drowned out along the ditches by a spring 

 freshet, and, clinging to the bits of weeds and other rubbish, 

 were carried to the higher grounds at the center of the fields, 

 but it seems more probable that they reached these spots in 

 the egg stage; that the eggs being deposited on the weeds the 

 previous fall were carried to the high grounds by the freshets. 

 Second, at the time (May 12) that the worms were first dis- 

 covered feeding, none were over half an inch long, and more 

 were only one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch in length. It is 

 possible that some of the moths hibernate and deposit their eggs 

 in these dry rubbish heaps in the spring. >Ve do not know over 

 how long a period the egg laying of this species may be extended, 

 nor do we know how long the young worms will live in dry rub- 

 bish heaps, without food, where they may have been lodged by 

 high water. I did not succeed in capturing any adult moths at 

 light traps until July 30, 1896. 



One other species of cutworm, Hadena illataf, usually not com- 

 mon, was, also, quite destructive ,to onions at Florida, Orange 

 county, during 1895 and 1896. When full grown this cutworm 

 is from one and one-half to two inches long, of a greasy, dark 

 color and covered with scattering hairs. These cutworms feed 

 a little later into the summer than do the " Dark-sided Cutworm." 

 As far as observed they cut the onions at the surface of the 

 ground, and never climb them. 



