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BULLETIN OF 

 MASSACHUSETTS BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



THE ARMY WORM (Leucania unipuncta). 



By A. n. KiRKLAND, M. 8., 



Assistant Entomologist to the Committee on the Cfypsy Moth, Insects and Birds. 



It would seem a matter of simple justice on the part of nature 

 to eliminate from time to time the old and long-fought insect 

 pests of the farmer as new and more dangerous ones appear, but 

 that no such good fortune is in store for the agriculturist is 

 shown by the reappearance this year of the army worm, accom- 

 panied by wide-spread damage throughout the State. The farmer 

 and fruit grower may justly contemplate with anxiety such compar- 

 atively recent insect importations as the gypsy moth and San Jos6 

 scale, but when, in addition, it becomes necessary to combat serious 

 devastations of the old-time insect pests, the romance and profits 

 of agricultural pursuits are materially lessened, and particular em- 

 phasis attaches to the thought that eternal vigilance is the price 

 of good crops. While by the time this paper reaches its readers 

 the danger from the army worm will probably have passed, the 

 possibility of outbreaks next year in those sections of the State 

 where this pest has done but little damage this season indicates 

 the necessity of disseminating information concerning the habits 

 of the insect and the means of checking its devastations. 



Life History. 

 The life history of the army worm is in brief as follows : the 

 eggs (Fig. 1), of a glistening white color, are laid by the parent 

 moth in rows of about twenty eggs each in the sheaths of grasses 

 and grains, and on stubble, stacks of straw, etc. Often several 

 rows of eggs are deposited on a single plant, and each female moth 

 lays about five hundred eggs. 



