30 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 239 



Descriptiim and Seaaoual His'ori/. 



The worms live througli the winter and pupate in hite April and early May. 

 The moths emerge in late May and early June and soon lay eggs. The worms 

 that hatch from them mature in late July and early August. They pupate in 

 the soil at depths of one to four inches, usually from tlie last of July to late 

 August. The pupal stage averages about nineteen days, the second brood of 

 moths emerging from mid-August to early September. These moths lay mostly 

 in early September, the eggs hatching in about two weeks to jjroduce the 

 worms that winter. 



The E(i<f. 



The eggs are laid in rows or compact masses, one moth laying tv.'o hundred 

 or more. 



The Il'or;H. 



The yoimg worms are pale at first, but tiiey assume their mature colora- 

 tion before they are half grown. The mature worm (Plate Two, figs. '2a and 

 2b) is al)0ut an incli and a half long and dull gray or l)rown with greenish 

 or olive-brown tints. It has a whitish stripe along each side and two to four 

 rather conspicuous angidar, blackish spots in a row on each side of tiie liind 

 part of the back. The head is light yellowish brown with a color network of 

 darker brown. 



The Pupct. 



This is mahogany brown and about thiee-fourths of an incii long. 



The Moth. 



Tlie moth (Plate One, fig. 11) expands about an inch and a half. Its back 

 between the wing bases is reddish sooty gray, with a pale gray or whitish 

 collar in front. The upper side of the abdomen is light brown. The under 

 side of the body is dark gray, with light gray or even whitish sometimes pre- 

 vailing on the sides and hind part of the chest. The fore wings are mostly 

 dull brown above, usually tinged slightly with reddish or bluish. Each has a 

 conspicuous triangular pale patch reaching back from near the middle of its 

 front margin and nearly dividing an equally noticeable dark brown area, also 

 some blackisli markings toward the base and a blackish spot toward the outer 

 end and nmning back from the front margin. The imder side of the fore 

 wings is light brown. The hind wings are whitish with lirown shadings. 



Treattuent. 



Floodiuff. 



On Jioi/s that cannot lie reffooded. — Prevention: Do not let off tlie winter 

 water lietween ]\Iay 23 and June 15. 



On />or/,s- that ran be reffooded. — If the net count (p. 3) sliows treatment 

 is necessarv, flood about June 30 for 1.5 hours. 



