36 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 239 



Description. 



The E<j(j. 



The luotlis lay tlieir eggs mostly at niglit, In masses of from lifty to five 

 hundred, preferably on grass blades, though they may place them on any plant 

 suitable as food for the young worms. Low-lying fields of grass or small 

 grains often are chosen for this, so the outbreaks usually begin in bottotu 

 land. Sometimes the eggs are laid on lawns. They are light gray and always 

 are covered with grayish down from the moth's body. Each egg is n)ucli 

 flattened at the base. This stage lasts a week or more in the Northern States. 



The Worm. 



The newly hatched caterpillar has a black head and whitish body. As they- 

 mature, the worms (Plate Two, figs. 8a and 8b) much resemble armyworms 

 and vary greatly in color. The body is striped lengthwise on a groimd color 

 varying from l)uff to dull gray or nearly black. A pale yellow line divides 

 lengthwise tlie broad mottled-buff stripe covering most of the back. On each 

 side of this broad stripe is a light line, then a dark stripe, and lastly — nearly 

 down to the legs — a light yellow stripe mottled with reddisii. The under side 

 is pale, varying from buff to green, and often tinged with red, esjieciaily 

 toward the sides. Tubercles appear plainly as dark dots, particularly along 

 the back. The head is deep brown mottled with pale yellow and always has 

 an inverted white "Y" on the face. The worm matures in about three weeks 

 in the North, becoming an inch and a quarter to an incli and a half long. 



The Pupa. 



The pupa is like that of the armyworm but a little smaller, being one-half 

 to three-fourths of an inch long. It is light green at first but soon turns light 

 brown and finally almost black. It is formed in a cell an inch or so in the 

 ground. 



The Moth. 



The moth expands from an inch tc one and three-eighths inches and has a 

 pale-brown body. The fore wings of some specimens (Plate One, fig. 9) are 

 mottled brown, with one whitish area near the tip and another running back 

 obliquely from near the middle of the front margin; those of others are uni- 

 formly dark grayish-brown. The hind wings are whitish with a pearly or 

 pinkish lustfr ami edged with smoky brown. 



riu- moths are attracted strongly to lights. 



Treatment. 

 Floniiin;!. 



On boijx that cannot Ije refloodeiL — The Bureau of Entomology of the 

 L'nited States Department of Agriculture notes the more severe outbreaks of 

 this pest in the South and predicts their spread into the North. Growers 

 lilanning to hold winter flowage till July should consult the Bureau as to the 

 chance of an invasion before doinc so. 



