SOME COTTON DISEASES 103 



worm," or "army-worm." It appears almost 

 every year to a limited extent. It has proven 

 disastrous to the cotton crop only a few times in 

 the United States. Its ravages do not extend 

 over a very considerable amount of territory 

 during any one season. 



There are four stages in the life of the cotton 

 worm: the egg, the larva, the pupa, and the 

 adult. The adult cotton worm is a brownish 

 yellow or grayish colored moth, the wings of 

 which expand from one and one eighth to one 

 and one half inches. The moth deposits its 

 eggs on the under side of the leaf of the plant ? 

 where it hatches out in very hot weather in 

 about three days. 



The worm or larva feeds upon the leaves of 

 the plant, and when very numerous will attack 

 the squares and the outer surface of the bolls 

 and even the twigs. It has been known to 

 destroy a whole field in a few days and then 

 move to another field in such numbers as to 

 derive the name of "army-worm." 



The cotton leaf worm or caterpillar transforms 

 to the pupal stage on the cotton plant. The 

 beginning of this stage is known as "webbing 

 up." The time required from the hatching out 



