30 



There has been considerable controversy among entomologists 

 concerning the number of annual broods of this insect. In the 

 southern sections of the United States there are, according 

 to Prof. L. O. Howard,* possibly as many as six annual 

 broods, while in New England there are undoubtedly two 

 broods yearly. This last statement may not hold true for 

 the cranberry region of Cape Cod, where the army worm 

 frequently causes much damage. From studies made on the 

 Cape during 1894 Mr. C. P. Lounsbury f came to the con- 

 clusion that the insect was there probably single brooded. 



The question of the stage in which the army worm passes 

 the winter has an important bearing upon the number of 

 annual broods. It is generally conceded that in this. region 

 the insects pass the winter as partially grown caterpillars 

 '(from the fall, or second, brood), which attain their full 

 growth the following spring, transform and give rise to moths 

 which lay their eggs in grass and grain. 



These views concerning the number of annual broods and 

 the question of hibernation find additional support in a 

 peculiar feature of the outbx'eak of this season. Many of 

 the fields worst damaged by the insect were those sown in 

 the spring of this year. I found during the first week in 

 July innumerable small larvae not over one-third to one- 

 half an inch in length scattered throughout these spring grain 

 fields and at a greater distance from grass lands than these 

 diminutive insects could possibly have travelled. Clearly 

 then the eggs from which these insects came must have been 

 laid in the grain fields by moths emerging from the hiber- 

 nating brood of the previous season. 



Food Plants. 

 The army worm is a general feeder upon grasses and 

 grains, but when pressed by hunger will attack many garden 

 vegetables and other herbage. It has this year been noticed 

 feeding upon cranberry, oats, rye, barley, corn, herds-grass, 

 orchard grass, red top, witch grass, peas, beans, beets, let- 

 tuce, cabbage, pig weed, yellow dock and purslane. Mr. 

 C. A. Peters, a student of the Massachusetts Agricultural 

 College, informs me that it also attacks barn-yard grass 

 {Panicum crus-galli)^ shepherd's-purse and vetches. Figs. 

 3, 4 and 5 illustrate the army worm's characteristic method 

 of feeding on rye and herds-grass. 



* Circular No. 4, 2d series, U. S. Dept, Agr., Div. of Entomology, 1894. 

 Fig. 3. f Bulletin 28, Hatch Experiment Station, 1895. 



