98 INJURIOUS INSECTS. 



This succession of broods continues throughout the 1 

 summer, four, five or even more generations arising 

 as the season is more or less prolonged. The larva 

 of the imported cabbage worm is shown at a in Fig. 

 15, the chrysalis at b, and the female butterfly at c. 

 A few other species of the genus Picris are 

 quite destructive to cabbage in our southern states. 

 Their life history and manner of feeding are practi- 

 cally the same as those of the imported cabbage 

 worm, and the treatment is the same. 



THE CABBAGE LOOPER.* 



This insect, the scientific name of which is 

 Plusia brassicae, has long been counted the most 

 destructive of cabbage pests in the south, and for the 

 past four years has been a worse enemy on Long 

 Island than the cabbage worm. It is less known,, 

 however, and the injury it does is usually attributed 

 to the cabbage worm ; for the larvae or worms are 

 quite similar in color to the other species and the 

 moths are less conspicuous in color, and fly princi- 

 pally on cloudy days and late in the afternoon, 

 remaining concealed during the day under the leaves 

 and in sheltered nooks and crannies. The worms 

 are voracious and more general feeders, eating not 

 only all plants of the cabbage family, but also let- 

 tuce, spinach, tomatoes, celery, carnations, chrysan- 

 themums, smilax, heliotrope and many other forc- 

 ing-house plants. They are especially destructive 

 to forcing-house lettuce and a few moths in even a 

 large house may soon cause irreparable injury, as a 



*Condensed from a special bulletin of the New York Agricultural Expert- - 

 ment Station by Professor F. A. Sirrine. 



