Cut-Woems. 27 



As few, however, of the cut- worms have been studied during 

 their larval stage, we know, as yet, almost 

 nothing of the extent to which they are 

 parasitized, or the names of the species 

 that prey upon them. One of the species, 

 Nephelodes violans Guen., studied recently 

 in connection with its appearance in 

 remarkable numbers in St. Lawrence 

 county, N. Y., was found to be very sub- ^ G . 28 ._ NBMOM1AllBUOANias; 



ject to parasitic attack. Larvae that I the larva, fly, and pupariuni; 



attempted to rear ga™ me many Tachi- j£, * «»« ™ Z 

 nid puparia and two different hymenop- which it is parasitic. 

 terous pupae (1st Rept. Ins. N. Y., 1882, p. 109). Prof. Eiley states 

 of the same larvae : " Of nineteen specimens placed in a vivarium 

 * * * several proved to have been parasitized ; one had 

 nineteen Tachina eggs upon it [after the manner shown in Figure 

 28] ; another gave forth Microg aster larvae, which had spun their 

 white cocoons in a surface cavity in the ground made by the larva, 

 and still another gave an Opliion cocoon" (ib., p. 103). Of other 

 species, Mr. William Saunders has written as follows : " Cut-worms 

 have been very abundant in the neighborhood of London during 

 the spring [of 1880]. * * * "When I reared a number 

 of the larvae with a view of breeding the moths, I found them so 

 affected with parasites that I did not get a single moth, so that, 

 although the larvae were exceedingly abundant, the moths proceed- 

 ing from them were comparatively rare, and all through the agency 

 of the parasites " (Ontario Agricultural Commission Report, 1881, 

 p. 219). 



The following parasites are reported by Professor Riley as having 

 been obtained by him : Paniscus geminatus Say — a large, yellow- 

 ish-brown Ichneumon fly — its source not stated; Nemorma leu- 

 canim, Kirkp., shown in Figure 28, from Lapliygma frugiperda 

 (Sm.-Abb.) ; and Tachina archippivora Riley, from an unknown 

 cut-worm resembling that of Agrotis subgothica (Haworth). 



Another Tachina fly was bred from the Black-lined Out-worm, 

 Agrotis fennica Tausch., during its recent abundance in Northern 

 Michigan (in the months of April and May, 1884), and has been 

 named and described by Dr. Williston as Scopolia sequax (Cook's 

 Notes on Injurious Insects — Entomolog. laboratory, Mich. Agricul. 

 Coll, 1884, pp. 5-6, figs. 5, 6). 



