388 Kansas State Board of Agriculture. 



one year. The winter is probably passed in the pupal stage, the pupae 

 being attached to the stems of weeds, grasses and other plants in sheltered 

 places. During the summer the pupae may be found hanging head up- 

 ward, attached to the alfalfa stems. It is the caterpillar, or worm, that 

 does the damage and not the butterfly that is so frequently seen flying 

 over alfalfa fields. 



Methods of Control. 



NATURAL ENEMIES. In speaking of the natural enemies Mr. Wilder- 

 muth 4 says : "Were it not for the fact that this species is preyed upon by 

 a great many natural enemies it would indeed prove a much more serious 

 pest than it is at the present time. Parasites and predaceous insects, 

 fungous and bacterial diseases, birds, toads, and even domestic fowls, all 

 play a large part toward keeping the species well within bounds during 

 certain seasons of the year." 



CONTROL MEASURES. The following conclusions regarding control 

 measures are quoted from Mr. Wildermuth: 5 



"Keep the soil in the best possible cultural condition. Irrigate it 

 often and thoroughly and as soon after cutting as the crop of hay can be 

 removed from the ground. 



"Renovate, either by disking or by the use of an alfalfa renovator, 

 thus disturbing any pupae that may be present, and putting the land and 

 alfalfa in condition for good growth of succeeding crops. 



"Cut the alfalfa close to the ground and clean, especially, along the ditch 

 banks, borders, and turning rows, as well as in the main part of the field. 



"Cut the alfalfa earlier than is the general rule. The proper time is 

 when it is jtfst coming in bloom or is one-tenth in bloom. Watch for 

 caterpillars in the early spring crop, and if many are observed about 

 grown, cut the hay a few days before it is in bloom, and thus save the 

 next and future crops. 



"A minimum amount of damage occurs in fields that are systematically 

 pastured all or a part of the time. 



"A field should never be abandoned because the caterpillars threaten 

 the destruction of a crop of alfalfa before the hay can possibly mature. 

 Mow it at once, cutting it low and clean, thus saving part of the present 

 crop, and in so doing starve, and allow the heat of the sun to kill, a great 

 many of this generation of worms. Follow this by disking, and then by 

 either rolling or brush dragging, and a great majority of any remaining 

 larvae will be killed. The ground should then be thoroughly irrigated, 

 and by these efforts the coming crop will be assured. 



"Turkeys and chickens when allowed the run of a field will keep the 

 numbers of the caterpillars at a minimum. 



"The protection of toads should be encouraged, as they eat many of 

 these insects, as well as other injurious forms. 



"It has been noted that a carrying out of only part of these recom- 

 mendations will not at all times save one's crop. The best results come 

 to the one who is thorough in methods. 



4. Bui. 124, U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 19. 



5. Bui. 124, U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 39, 40. 



