THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



2J1 



first feed upon the parenchj'ma or soft fleshy 

 parts of the leaves, but afterwards devour in- 

 differently, not only any portion of the leaves, 

 but also the blossom-bud and blossom, togetlier 

 with the calyx leaves at the base of the boll, tints 

 causing the lobes wliich hold tlie cotton to fall 

 entirely back and allow the cotton to fall at the 

 slightest touch. AV'hile young these worms 

 readily let tliemselves down by a web when 

 disturbed, but when older tliey make less use of 

 tliis web, and jerk themselves away to a con- 

 siderable distance when suddenly touched. They 

 cast their skins at five successive periods, and 

 come to their growth in the incredibly short 

 space of fifteen or twenty days. Mr. Aflleck 

 even states that they usually enter the chrysalis 

 state on the eleventh day after hatching; but we 

 incline to believe that such a brief larval exist- 

 ence is extremely exceptional, and the lengtli of 

 time required for them to mature will not only 

 differ in different individuals of the same brood, 

 but will vary with the state of the atmosphere. 

 At Figure 148 c is given a side view, and at d a 

 back view of a full-grown worm. It has the 

 normal complement of legs — namely 16 — but the 

 two foremost pair of abdominals, or those under 

 segments 6 and 7, are so reduced in size that 

 they are scarcely used in motion, and it conse- 

 quently loops when walking. 



We have upon two occasions received full- 

 grown specimens of this worm, and Ihey differ 

 materially, both in depth of shade, coloration 

 and markings, as indeed do almost all tlic larvae 

 ofmoths belonging to the same {Noctua) family. 

 The most conmion color is light green, though 

 they are frequently quite dark, with a purplish 

 lute at the sides, and with black backs. Whether 

 light or dark colored, however, they are more or 

 less distinctly marked with pale longitudinal 

 lines and black spots, as in the above figures. 



Mr. Lyman, in his "Cotton Culture," says of 

 this insect: "The first moths that visit a crop 

 deposit their eggs and die. These eggs in ten 

 days become little worms, which fall to eating 

 the leaf on which they were hatched, and as 

 they grow consume the plant and pass to another. 

 But age comes on ajiace with these ephemeral 

 creatures ; the worm presently grows weary of 

 devouring, selects a leaf, rolls himself in a little 

 cocoon and dies." Of course this is a serious 

 mistake to think that the worm dies, else how 

 could it produce the moth which, as Mr. Lyman 

 himself shows, afterwards issues from the co- 

 coon. It is astonishing to find such gross errors 

 creeping into our popular works, but then, the 

 study of these contemptible little Bugs, even 



if they do sometimes totally destroy the crop, is 

 of course beneath the dignity of the man who 

 can write a work on cotton culture ! ! The truth 

 of the matter is that, when they have completed 

 their growth, the worms fold over the edge of a 

 leaf (Fig. 148 e), and, after lining the inside 

 with silk, change to chrysalids (Fig. 148 /), 

 which are at first green, but soon accjuire a 

 chestnut-brown color; after remaining in this 

 last state (in which, though the insect is inac- 

 tive, it is yet full of life, and undergoing won- 

 derful development) from seven to fourteen 

 days, or even longer, the moth escapes, the 

 chrysalis being held fast within the cocoon by 

 means of several very minute hooks with which 

 the tail is furnished. 



[Kig. IJM 



Colors— (n a-M b) goMeii-buff, \\W\ lilac-colored markings. 



At Figure 149 a, this moth is represented with 

 the wings expanded, and at b, with the wings 

 closed. Tlie general color of the upper surface 

 is a golden-yellow inclining to bull", with a faint 

 olive tint near tlie outer or posterior margin. 

 The fore wings are crossed, as in tlic above fig- 

 ures, by more or less distinct, irregular, lilac- 

 colored lines. But the chief characteristic is a 

 dark slate-colored, or black spot on the fore 

 wings, in which spot there are paler Scales 

 forming almost a double pupil as represented in 

 the figures, while between this spot and the base 

 of the wings there is a much smaller pure white 

 dot. In general color and in the position of the 

 larger spot, this moth bears a remarkable re- 

 semblance to that of the true Army-worm, 

 (X. umpunctata, Fig. 154). Mr. AlHeck inform- 

 ed us that the Cotton-moth invaiiably rests in 

 the position in which we have placed it (Fig. 14ii, 

 6), namely, with the head downwards, and that 

 if perchance, it settles in any other position, it 

 instantly " wheels around head down.'" 



Remedies. 



It must be admitted that very little satisfac- 

 tion is given in the literature which we have ot 

 this insect, so far as regards an eflectual remedy 

 against its depredations, and, as wc are our- 

 selves unable to make observations or experi- 

 ments, we shall be glad to publish for the gene- 

 i-al good, the experiences of any of onr cotton- 



