THIRTEENTH ANNUAL KKPOHT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 155 



Some of the Principal State Interests in 

 Entomology in 1915 



THE ARMY CUTWORM 



The ciutstanding- feature of the year in Montana from the stand- 

 point of the entomologist was an unprecedented outbreak of the 

 army cutworm {CI lorixa gratis aii.vUinris). On April 2 we received 

 a report of the presence of this insect in eastern jMontana and after 

 this many other reports came in from other parts of the State in 

 rapid succession. The outbreak was quite general and severe. While 

 some cutworms were reported from western Montana ])ractically 

 all of the damage was done east of the divide. 



This insect is a very general feeder and refuses almost no plants 

 that come in its way, yet practically all of the damage was done 

 to fall wheat so far as our reports indicate. An attempt has been 

 made to form an estimate of the acreage of wheat eaten off and we 

 l)elieve that fully 100,000 acres was destroyed. A large part of this 

 was seeded again late in April or in May and in many cases good 

 crops of spring wheat were harvested. Where reseeding was done 

 the loss was only the cost of again preparing the soil and reseeding, 

 together with any difference in the value of the harvested crop. 

 In many cases, however, fields were only partly destroyed and the 

 farmer was often in doubt whether or not he should reseed. The 

 loss on the acreage that was not reseeded was considerable. A 

 considerable amount of damage was done also to miscellaneous crops 

 such as flax, alfalfa, and some tilled crops and plants in gardens. 

 Earh- in the outbreak an assistant was sent to an infested held 

 for the purpose of performing tests with the use of poisoned bran 

 mash with and w'ithout citrous fruit juices added. These tests 

 showed that the bran mash without the fruit juices added was very 

 effective and accordingly w^e proceeded to base our recommendations 

 for the season on this mixture. As the season advanced we gained 

 furtlier experience with the use of this poison bran masli. all of 

 wliich was distinctly in its favor; in fact we had no complaints of 

 failure t(t get good results with its use and many very fa\drable 

 Comments were received. 



To meet the emergency and supi)ly the information needed a 

 brief circular of information was hurried through the press. A 

 circular letter was mailed to the newspapers of the State as follows: 



