GARDEN INSECTS 



285 



flower are the favorite food-plants, but lettuce, peas, celery, 

 beets and various other garden crops and weeds are often 

 attacked. Injury to cabbage seems to be worse in late 

 summer. The full-grown larva spins a very thin trans- 

 parent white cocoon on 

 the leaf where it has been 

 feeding and in it trans- 

 forms to the pupa from 

 which the moth emerges 

 in from one to two weeks 

 in summer. The pupae 

 of the last generation 

 hibernate. The moth 

 has a wing expanse of 

 about 11 inches. The 

 fore wings are grayish- 

 brown mottled with white 

 and black, and just in- 

 side the center is a char- 

 acteristic white spot. A 

 prominent tuft arises 

 from the thorax when 

 the moth is at rest. 



Control. Spraying or dusting with arsenate of lead is the 

 most satisfactory remedy for all of these caterpillars. This 

 should be applied as soon as the plants are set, and they 

 should be kept well covered until the heads are half formed. 

 If this is done the young larvae will be killed before they bur- 

 row into the heads and there will be but little danger from 

 them later. Plants should not be dusted with large quan- 

 tities of arsenate of lead or Paris green after the heads are 

 well formed, nor is there any occasion for this. Various 

 contact insecticides will kill these caterpillars, but their use 



FIG. 205. The cabbage looper (Auto- 

 grapha brassicce Riley). (After How- 

 ard and Chittenden, U. S. Dept. 

 Agr.) 



a, male moth; b, egg from above and from 

 side; c, full-grown larva in natural position 

 feeding; d, pupa in cocoon natural size; 6, 

 enlarged. 



