20 



i. e., feeding on plants at night-tiuie, often cutting off small 

 plants at or below the surface of the soil, and hiding under 

 leaves, trash, or ])urro\ving in the soil during the daytime. It 

 is a very general feeder, attacking nearly all kinds of garden 

 and field crops, and even weeds. 1 have never found it very 

 abundant in cane iields, nor have 1 known of it being reported 

 so, though it does frequently occui' along with the other species 

 and is partially responsible for the damage done. I have found 

 them in fields of young cane, when no evidence could be found 

 of their having eaten the cane. They were beneath plants of 

 pigweed (Purslane) upon which they must have fed. In the 

 United States they are particularly troublesome to corn, cot- 

 ton, cabbage, tomato, and tobacco, attacking the young plants, 

 one cutworm often destroying several jjlants in one night. In 

 India they are destructive to young tea and coffee plants and 

 opium. 



LIFE HISTORY. 



The eggs are domeshaped, about ()..") nun. in diameter, and 

 creamy white in color. There is a small circular depression at 

 the upper pole from which radiate numerous ridges running 

 down the sides to the base or .surface in contact with a leaf. 

 The eggs are laid on the surface of leaves or stems of plants 

 near to the ground. From one to numy eggs may be placed 

 close together in one batch, and one motli may produce several 

 batches amounting to two or four hundred eggs. 



The larvae hatch from the eggs in a few days (usually two 

 to four). They molt five times at intervals of two to six days 

 and become full-grown in about one month. The full-grown 

 caterpillar (Plate II, fig. 2) is about 1.75 inches long (45 mm.). 

 It is of a nearly uniform dark greasy gray color, paler below. 

 The spiracles are black. The tubercles are conspicuous, show- 

 ing as regular rows of brownish dots. Head and dorsal part of 

 segment behind head dark brown. 



The pupa is formed in an earthen cell a little below the sur- 

 face of the soil. It is about .75 inch long (20 to 23 mm.), uni- 

 form medium bro\vn in color, Avith a dark dorsal band at apex 

 of abdominal segments 4, 5, 6 and 7, containing irregularly 

 arranged small pits. At the tip of abdomen are two large 



