39 



Fig. 35. — Agathis {Cremnopif) vulgaris: female, liead at left; 

 iibdomen of male, side view, at right — enlarged (redrawn 

 after Insect Life, Division of Entomology). 



data accumulated by the Department of Agriculture. The life history- 

 has not been followed throughout, but two generations have Ijeen dif- 

 ferentiated, and possibly a third is produced in the most southern 

 region which the insect inhabits, the moths from which issue in 

 autumn. Where observed 

 in Nebraska there was a 

 short-lived July genera- 

 tion, requiring onh^ two 

 weeks between the matu- 

 rity of the caterpillars 

 and the appearance of the 

 moths, which coupled and 

 deposited eggs for another 

 generation. The caterpil- 

 lars of the July brood 

 transform to pupas almost 

 immediately after entering 

 the ground, but the last 

 generation remains as lar- 

 vae for some time before as- 

 suming the chrysalis stage. 

 A wild food plant, pigweed 

 or careless weed (Amaranthus), has been observed, and it has been 

 noticed also that injur}^ to fields of sugar beet are most observable 

 where the ground had been allowed to run to this wild plant. In 

 Europe it lives on another pigweed (Artemisia). A parasitic enemy 



of this species is illus- 

 trated in fio-ure 35. 



THE GARDEN WEB- 

 WORM. 



{Loxostege sbnilulis Gn. ) 



The garden webworm 

 has the same natural food 

 plant (Amaranthus) as the 

 sugar-beet species, but is 

 native to America, and 

 although widely distrib- 

 uted is somewhat re- 

 stricted as regards im- 

 portant injuries to the South and Middle West, particularly in States 

 between the Mississippi Valley and the Rocky Mountain region. In 

 1885 it was the cause of serious trouble over a large area, including 

 five States and Indian Territory." It is a general feeder, and attacks 

 most vegetables, cereals, grasses and other forage crops, as also tobacco 



«Rept. Comm. Agr. for 1885 (1886), pp. 265-270. 



Fig. Z^.— Loxostege similalis: a, male moth; 6, larva, lateral 

 view; c, larva, dorsal view; d, anal segment; c, abdominal 

 segment, lateral view; /, pupa; g, cremaster— a, b, c, /, 

 somewhat enlarged; d, c, g, more enlarged (reengraved 

 after Riley, except c, original. Division of Entomology). 



