ENTOMOLOGY 237 



dark spots become more or less conspicuous after the first molt, and 

 the characteristic markings make their first appearance. After the 

 second molt these markings become more conspicuous, and the insect 

 takes on a distinctly greenish color, the black along the back varying 

 among different individuals in its intensity. Before reaching full 

 growth the caterpillar sheds its skin five times, and the duration of 

 the caterpillar stage is from one to three weeks. Early in the season 

 the green color appears to predominate, while toward the fall the 

 blackish caterpillars are more abundant, although at any time dur- 

 ing the season green and dark worms are seen together. Although 

 the normal food of the caterpillar is the leaves, it will frequently 

 gnaw the tender twigs and will even damage the bolls by eating into 

 them in spots. This, however, generally occurs only when the worms 

 are present in exceptional numbers and the supply of leaves becomes 

 exhausted. 



The caterpillar, having become full grown, never enters the 

 ground to transform, although many planters have believed that this 

 is the manner in which the insect passes the winter. It spins a slight 

 silken web, forming an imperfect cocoon, 'usually within a folded 

 leaf. It is frequently seen hanging quite naked upon the plant, but 

 in such cases the leaf in which it was originally spun has been eaten 

 away by other caterpillars. Its color is at first green, but in the 

 course of an hour or so it changes to brown. The insect remains in 

 this condition for a period varying from one week to thirty days. 



The perfect insect of the cotton caterpillar is a rather small 

 moth of an olive-gray color, sometimes with a somewhat purplish 

 luster. Its wings expand from 1% to l 1 /^ inches. The moth is a 

 night flyer and hides during the day, starting up and flying with a 

 swift, somewhat darting motion when disturbed. After sunset it 

 takes wing and flies about, laying its eggs or searching for food. It 

 feeds, in fact, rather extensively, frequenting neighboring flowering 

 plants and also the nectar glands of the leaves of cotton. Fruit, as 

 it ripens, also attracts these moths, and is frequently seriously in- 

 jured by them. The female begins to lay her eggs in from two to 

 four days after leaving the chrysalis, and each individual lays from 

 300 to 600 eggs. With five consecutive and rapidly developed gen- 

 erations the occasionally extraordinary numbers of the late broods 

 are not to be wondered at. 



The importance of ascertaining the early presence of the worms, 

 although in small numbers, from a remedial point of view, is very 

 great, and since it was conclusively shown that worms may be found 

 in the fields in the Gulf States long before the so-called "first-crop," 

 planters have looked for them more carefully, and doubtless in many 

 cases possibly severe injury has been prevented by the poisoning of 

 early worms. 



The greatest difficulty was found in settling the question as to 

 the manner in which this insect passes the winter, but it has finally 

 been established that over the more northern portion of the cotton 

 belt the species dies out every year, while in the more southern por- 

 tions the moth hibernates and remains torpid in sheltered situations. 



