404 



CUT WORMS. 



dense population, note will be taken of these injuries which now 

 are unnoticed. While we may believe that most of our cut 

 worms attack and destroy many a spear of grass in pasture and 

 meadow, v\'e actually know that Agrotis fennica may utterly 

 devastate whole meadows, as it has done in parts of Michigan for 

 the pa>^t two years. 



These gray, sober colored noctuid moths. Fig. 



148, lay their scores of white eggs upon the stems 



of grasses. The larvae. Fig. 149, may be dirty 



white or variously striped. Those which spend 



the day beneath the ground are 



more frequently light colored. 



They pupate in the earth. Fig. 



150 shows the pupa. 



The moths of different species 

 may be found from June to Octo- 

 ber. Agrotis fennica is seen as a 

 moth in July. It is probably true 

 of all the species that the eggs are 

 laid soon after the moths appear. 

 In most cases these hatch the same season, and the 

 •^ larvse become partly grown, but do their greatest 

 Fia. 150. mischief the following May and June. The eggs 

 of A. fennica do not hatch till spring, when the larvae eat raven- 

 ously and grow very rapidly. So we see that in all cases June is 

 the dreaded month when these insects lay heavy tribute on the 

 produce of the farmer. 



We must depend on the natural enemies very largely to over- 

 come these injurious insects in our grass fields. The extent of 

 the area of grass fields, the number of insects and their con- 

 cealed condition makes all kinds of known warfare impracticable. 

 When they cover a field, as did the A. fennica the meadows in Bay 

 county. Michigan, we may adopt the same remedy as in case of 



UN* 



Fig. 148. Agrotis fennica and wing 

 of v;ir. 





^ ^ ' afi^ 



Fig. 149. 



