82 



#' 



abiiudtint throushoul- fli(^ slat(\ .livoaily injiiriiiji; lawns in tlio towns and 

 larger cities, ('spcciallv in (^lincy and (IhicajiX). lis |)r('f(>r(Mico for 

 <;rass('s is so slron.u' that it ol'ton cats tlicni out \'nu\\ anion.i; other weeds 

 and cultivated crops. Ki-oom-coni, s()r<2;huin, sugar-cane, Kafir corn, 

 timothy, rice, wheat, rye, niillet, and sonieiimos oats and barley, arc 



among the crops 

 "^'^ ^ subject to injury 



! by this caterpil- 



lar. It has also 

 been known to 

 feed upon buck- 

 wheat, alfalfa, 

 clover, cow-pea, 

 chick-pea, tobac- 

 co, sugar-beet, 

 cotton, asparagus, 

 sweet potato, 

 spinach, turnip, 

 kale, tomato, po- 

 tato, cucumber, 

 cabbage, beet, 

 straw berry, 

 grape-vine, apple, 

 peacdi, orange, 

 ])urslane, holly- 

 hock, lamb's- 

 quarters, pig- 

 weed , and cockle- 

 l)ur. The cater- 

 pillars even eat 



each other freely, not only when confined in company, but in the o])en 

 field when they become abundant. 



The life history is as yet imperfectly known. We have no record of 

 the occurrence of the species in Illinois before the middle of July, at 

 which time larvae appeared in consid(n-able numbers in broom-corn 

 fields, mostly pupating by the end of that month. These emerged in 

 the winged stage (Fig. 61) early in August, after a pupal period of about 

 ten days. A general outbreak of the caterpillar in grass lands occurn^l 

 in the latter part of the August following. These caterpillars i)upated 

 late in August and early in September, and from them moths emerged 

 late in the latter month after a pupal life of about two weeks. Eggs 

 were obtained from these September 2() and 27, and began to hatch 

 October 5, the cateri)illars contimiing into l)(H'ember. Three succ^essive 

 generations were thus clearly traced in central Illinois, beginning with 



w - ^r'"' '■ ■.^^■. .^■.'«" '-i^'o 



t-"fai 



Fio. 60: a, the Grass-worm, Laphygma frutriperda, face of larva; 

 h, surface of larval skin under microscope; c, the Corn Ear-worm, HtU- 

 othis armiger, face of larva; d, surface of larval skin under microscope. 



