30 



CUTWORMS. 



These insects are among the most troublesome with which the vege- 

 table grower has to deal, but, although often associated with injur}' to 

 sugar beet, they as a rule show no preference for this plant. Hence 

 they are of little importance save under exceptional circumstances, 

 when they attack newly planted crops. They are usually present 

 in most gardens and fields, and it is a question of their appearance in 

 numbers and at the time of the year when the plants are just begin- 

 ning to grow, as to 

 whether the}' will 

 prove sufficiently de- 

 structive to require 

 remedial treatment. 

 They are likely to 

 attack any portion 

 of a l)eet plant — foli- 

 age, flowers, stalks, 

 fruits, oi roots — and 

 when they are suffi- 

 ciently abimdant to 

 migrate like army 

 worms they can be 

 quite injurious. 



Although we have 

 two or three score of 



Fig. 25. — Peridroma margwiiosa: a, moth; /), normal form, of larva, • -J ,.;^ , f ^. 

 lateral view; c, same in curved position; (?, dark form, dorsal view; 111]U110US CUtWOrmS, 

 e, egg from side; /, egg mass on twig (after Howard, Division of Ento- not more than half a 



™° ° dozen of these have 



been reported to be seriously troublesome to sugar beet. The different 

 species vary considerably as to life and other habits, but in this con- 

 nection brief mention will be made of only a few of the most important 

 insects of this group. 



THE VARIEGATED CUTWORM. 



{Peridroma margaritosa Haw. Isaucia Hbn.].) 



There is little doubt that this is the most important and widely 

 known of all cutworms. It is cosmopolitan and likely to be found 

 anywhere, and although it favors vegetable crops it is able to eke out 

 an Existence on almost any form of vegetation. The progenitor of 

 this cutworm is a rather large grayish-brown moth or "miller," and 

 the full-grown cutworm measures about If inches. It is variable, like 

 the moth, some forms being pale and others darker. The usual ground 

 color is rather dull brown, mottled with gray and smoky black above, 

 the characteristic feature consisting of a row of four to six yellow 



