MAIZE. 137 



Cutworms. 



Cutworms are the caterpillars of n family called the Noctuida>, which 

 includes many species of small moths. The caterpillars usually feed at night 

 and hide by day, and when attacking young seedlings are capable of readily 

 eating through the stems, thus cutting off the tops; hence the name 

 "cutworm." Later, when the plants are older, thicker stemmed and 

 tougher, the caterpillars may succeed in only gnawing the stems and 

 destroying the leaves, and thus stunting the growth of the plants without 

 eating them right down. When the pest is in evidence in swarms, however, 

 well-grown crops may be stripped bare of foliage, and even their stalks 

 eaten down. 



Army Worm (Cirphis [Leueania] unipuncta Haw) — -The Army Worm is 

 among the cutworms that attack maize. It does serious damage to foliage, 

 sheath, and silk. The eggs (which in summer hatch in eight to ten days) are 

 laid by the moths in rows against the bases of the leaf blades, and up to 700 

 eggs have been recorded as having been laid by a single female. When 

 numerous, the caterpillars may move in irregular swarms or armies from field 

 to field. The tiny, newly-hatched ones may be of palest brown or dirty white, 

 sometimes with greenish tinge, and longitudinal stripes on the back. The 

 older caterpillars are darker and sometimes more definitely striped, but vary 

 considerably to a dark brown or smoky black colour all over, with the 



The Army Worm— the destructive larval stage of the introduced Cirphis I Leueania) 

 unipuncta. Feeds on maize plants and other crops. 



(After Walton. Fanners' Bulletin 731, U.S.A. Dept. Agr.) 



characteristic dorsal longitudinal stripes scarcely showing. They become full 

 grown in three or four weeks, attain a length of 1 .', inches, and curl up when 

 disturbed. The pupa or chrysalis is reddish brown, oval and smooth, just 

 under '\ inch long. It is usually found an inch or two below the soil surface, 

 where the full-grown caterpillar has buried itself to change to the pupal or 

 resting stage in which it remains for about two weeks in summer. The adult 

 moth is buff coloured, or very light brown, with a single whitish spol with 

 a dark surrounding patch or one or two distinct spots placed in the centre 

 of ' the fore-wing ; the hind-wing paler, sometimes greyish or smoky or the 

 outer half. 



