Description and Seasonal History 



The worms live through the winter and pupate in 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 the last of July to late August. The pupal 

 stage averages about nineteen days, the second brood of moths emerging from mid' 

 August to mid-September. These moths lay mostly in early September, the eggs 

 hatching in about two weeks to produce the worms that winter. 



THE EGG 



The eggs are laid in rows or compact masses, one moth laying two hundred 

 or more. 



THE WORM 



The young worms are pale at first, but they assume their mature coloration 

 before they are half grown. The mature worm (Plate Two, figs. 2a and 2b) is 

 about an inch and a half long and dull gray or brown with greenish or olive 

 brown tints. It has a whitish stripe along each side and two to four rather 

 conspicuous angular, blackish spots in a row on each side of the hind part of the 

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



THE PUPA 



This is mahogany brown and about three-fourths of an inch long. 



THE MOTH 



The 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 prevailing on the 

 sides and hind part of the chest. The forewings 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 blackish markings 

 toward the base and a blackish spot toward the outer end and running back from 

 the front margin. The under side of the forewings is light brown. The hind 

 wings are whitish with brown shadings. 



Treatment 



FLOODING 



On hogs that cannot he reflooded. — Prevention: Let off the winter water before 

 May 23. 



On hogs that can he reflooded. — If the net count (p. 3) shows treatment 

 is necessary, flood for ten hours at night. 



SPRAYING 



Spraying bogs while the worms are small never has been fairly tried. A spray 

 of 6 pounds of dry lead arsenate in 100 gallons of water should be effective. The 

 worms are hard to poison after they are half grown. 



BAITING 



See page 26. 



[29] 



