average length of about one inch, being, in other words, at this date some- 

 what more than liaif grown, lu'mah; moths, on the other hand, conhned 

 in a breeding-cage with bhi(!-grass July 10, had giv(!n origin s'x days 

 later t(r freshly hatched larva), with which the cage was swarming at the 

 tiin(!. L'n fortunately, these |)resently died — |)robably because the food 

 plant offered them was inisuitable. Other entomologists have several 

 times secured and hatched the eggs of this specicis in the latter half of the 

 season. In 1900, cutworms of this species — probably of the second 

 brood — began to appear early in July, reached tJicir greatest abundance 

 about July 25, and had disappc;ared by the end of the following month. 

 The advent of winter coirnnonly finds individuals in every stage of 

 growth, and moths, larva;, and doubtless pupa; also may pass the wiidxT 

 successfully. We once found four larvae in (iariy December under boards 

 arid weeds in grass and corn. Two of these were about a tfiird of an inch 

 in length, and the cjthers wen; approximately an inch and a quarter. 

 Two full-grown larva; w(!re also found Jamiary 14 and 24. 



Fortiuiately, this cutworm is not ordinarily sufrunently injurious in 

 corn fi(!lds to require special precautions except wIkmi it moves in com- 

 panies from its breeding grounds, and then it may be d^alt with like the 

 army-worm, by measures to be described in the article on that sj^ecies. 



Till-; Si'(/i"i'i;n (Ju'rwoitM. 

 Nodua c-nigrum Linn. 



The spotted cutworm is a common species, injurious in lMu-of)e as 

 well as in America, especially to garden vege- 

 tables, whicli it seems to prefer to grasses and 

 grains. It has occasionally injm'ed Indian 

 corn in various states, and, like the s[)erues 

 just discussed, is liable to travel in companies 

 when it becomes very numerous. I'nder 

 these circumstan(;es it might recjuire the 

 especial attention of the corn grower. It is 

 on recorrl also as injuring wheat in January 

 and in March. (Webster.) 



It may be recognized (I''ig. 7) by two 

 rows of triangidar black spots, one on each 

 side of the back, with the narrow angle to the 

 front, largest and darkest on the posterior seg- 

 ments of the body, and fading out before they 

 reach the head. The general color of the cat- 

 erpillar is pale brownish or ashy gray, and it is 

 aboutan inch and a half long when of full size. 



It hibernat(!S as a cutworm nearly full grown, and [)U|)ates (|uite 

 early, in central Illinois late in A|)ril and early in May: coiise- 



I 



i 



I''i<;. 7. 'I'he Si)r)Ue'l (Jutworrri 

 ( Ni>/:lua c-ti ii/rum) , hack an<l wide 

 viC'WH. Eii\iuii,i:<\. 



