﻿OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 2T 



1855. He says: 'Last season (1855), in consequence of the heavy 

 rains in the early part of June, the flats of the Cuyahoga, near Cleve- 

 land, were flooded. After the subsidence of the water, and while the 

 grass was yet coated with the muddy deposit, myriads of small black- 

 ish caterpillars appeared; almost every blade had its inhabitant; no- 

 animal could feed upon it without, at every bite, swallowing several ; 

 if anew blade sprung up, it was immediately devoured, but what was 

 most remarkable, the insects did not attempt to remove to land a foot 

 or two higher, but that had not been covered by the water.' "* 



Since the publication of my second Report I have learned through 

 Mr. M. P. Lentz, of Rocheport, that it abounded in parts of Boone 

 county, in 1854, and this is the earliest record that we have of it in 

 Missouri. 



" The year 1861 will long be remembered as a remarkable Army 

 Worm year, for this insect was observed in particular localities 

 throughout the whole northern and middle portion of the United 

 States from New England to Kansas. It was first noticed in numbers 

 sufficient to cause alarm, in Tennessee and Kentucky during the 

 month of April; and toward the close of the same month it appeared 

 in the southern counties of Illinois. By the end of June it had visited 

 nearly all portions of the latter State, proving more or less destruc- 

 tive to grass, wheat, oats, rye, sorghum and corn. 



" Its advent in Missouri was simultaneous with that in Illinois, and 

 judging from what facts I have accumulated, it occurred very gener- 

 ally over this State, though recorded only in St. Louis, Jefferson, War- 

 ren, Boone, Howard and Pike counties. No mention is made of its 

 occurrence, at this time, in any of the States or Territories west of 

 Missouri, but to the East, scarcely a single State escaped its ravages. 

 In many portions of Ohio it entirely destroyed the hay and grain 

 crops, and in the eastern part of Massachusetts the damage done was 

 reported to exceed a half million of dollars." 



In 1865 and in 1866 it attracted attention in restricted localities in- 

 Illinois and Missouri. In 1869 it again appeared in vast numbers in 

 many portions of our State, especially in St. Louis, Jefierson, Cooper, 

 Callaway, Henry, St. Clair, Marion, Ralls, and Lafayette counties; 

 also in some counties in Illinois and Indiana. The first intimation I 

 received of its appearance in Missouri was the following letter sent 

 to me by Mr. A. E. Trabue of Hannibal, under date of June 8th : 



I inclose a match-box with grass and two worms, which we think are Arnijr 

 Worms. They are here in myriads destroyino: the ^rass. Destroyed a hundred acres- 

 of blue grass meadow in live days, and are now advancing on me. What are they and 

 their habits? 



*Ohio Agricultural Report, 1855, p. 350. 



