No. 4.] 



THE ARMY WORM. 



265 



Upon hatchinir, these eggs give rise to small, dark, smooth- 

 skinned caterpillars (true cut worms), which feed greedily 

 upon grasses and grains. The full-grown caterpillar (Fig. 2) 

 is about one and one-half inches in length, and has a dark 

 dorsal stripe extending the whole length of the body. Fol- 

 lowing this stri[)e on each side of the body there are three 

 narrow, fairly well-defined stripes, the 

 first being gtayish yellow, the second 

 dark brown, and the third, extending 

 along the body just above the legs, of 

 a rust-yellow color. The under surface 

 is light brown. All the body colors are 

 subject to much variation. In this stage 



Fio. 1.— Army Worm. 



Moth, eggs and pupa. (From Departmeut 

 of Agriculture Report, 1879.) 



the insect has the habit, common to 

 other cut worms, of curling itself up 

 when disturbed. 



When full grown the caterpillars bury 

 themselves in the soil to a depth of two 

 or three inches, and there transform into 

 dark-brown pup?e (Fig. 1), which, in 

 the course of two or three weeks, give 

 rise to winged moths. These moths (Fig. 1) are of a red- 

 dish-brown color, expand about one and one-half inches and 

 have near the centre of the fore wings a small white spot. 

 The middle of each hind wing bears on the under surface a 

 small black spot. 



Fio. 2. — Armt Worm. 



Caterpillar. (From Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture Ke- 

 port, 1879.) 



