SIXTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 25 



standing entomological feature of the year was an unprecedented 

 outbreak of the sugar-beet webworm. During the first three weeks 

 in August millions of webworms appeared in the northern and central 

 counties of the State. Beets, beans, corn, and garden crops were 

 all seriously damaged. Not only were crops injured but houses 

 were infested and wells were contaminated by the millions of crawl- 

 ing worms. Fortunately, grain crops were not molested. Russian 

 thistle and pigweed are favorite food plants of this insect and much 

 of the damage done in gardens was due to the presence of weedy 

 areas which had attracted the moths for egg-laying and in which 

 millions of webworms were hatched out. 



White-Lined Morning Sphinx (Deilephila lineata Fab.). — The 

 large green larvae of this beautiful moth were reported as very 

 abundant near Columbus. Weeds were mainly fed upon and no 

 damage to crops was reported. 



Imported Cabbage Worm (Pontia rapae Linn.). — As usual, the 

 cabbage worm was highly destructive throughout the State and 

 numerous letters were received from owners of war gardens who 

 were anxious to learn the best method of getting rid of this pest. 

 Like the potato beetle, this is one of the insects that has to be 

 fought every year. 



Cutworms (J^octuidae) . — Although no wide-spread outbreak 

 of army cutworms occurred, yet cutworms were more abundant 

 throughout the State as a whole than for several years. War gardens 

 in many communities suffered severe setbacks, corn, peas, and beans 

 having to be replanted several times in order to get a stand. In 

 several counties, grain crops and alfalfa were badly injured. 



Webbing Clothes Moth (Tineola biselUella Hummel). — Clothes 

 moths were unusually abundant during the summer months. In 

 some instances, larvae were found in great abundance and doing 

 damage in November. 



Mourning Cloak Butterfly (Eiovanessa antiopa L.). — The larvae 

 of this butterfly, commonly known as the spiny elm caterpillar, 

 have been reported many times as w^orking on elm and willow foliage 

 and during the past season have worked on cottonwood foliage as 

 well. 



Tortoise-Shell Butterfly (Eu^onia calif ornica Bois). — Residents 

 in the western end of the State reported great swarms of these 

 l)utterflies, particularly in Sanders County. Farmers feared that 



