REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I905 



73 



Fir. 4 Crambus trisectus, enlarged 



of May or in early June, spins a cocoon and some two months later 

 pupates, the moths appearing in August and September. 



Dried Crambus 



Crambus trisectus Walk. 



This species is a rather large, ashy gray moth having a wing 

 spread of J^ to ij^ inches. The forewings are ornamented with 

 two irregular, oblique charac- 

 teristic black markings. The 

 moths fly mostly at or just after 

 dark and are attracted to light 

 in large numbers, being on the 

 wing throughout June and July, 

 though individuals have been 

 taken the latter part of Septem- 

 ber. This species, as recorded 

 by Dr Lintner, was associated 

 with the vagabond Crambus in (Ongmai) 

 the unprecedented outbreak observed in the St Lawrence valley. 

 Our collections at Ithaca show that it is about as abundant as the 

 preceding species, and like it should be regarded as a serious pest in 

 grass lands. 



Description of early stages. The eggs are a cream-yellow when 

 first laid, gradually turning to an orange-buff color before hatching. 

 The very young larva has a black head, a dark brown thoracic 

 shield and the body is a translucent white with numerous small 

 black tubercles, each bearing one or more light colored hairs. The 

 larva in late fall is about ^ inch long with the head and tubercles 

 black, while the body is a mottled chocolate-brown with a dark 

 stripe along the dorsal line. In early spring the head and thoracic 

 shield are a dark amber, the tubercles of the same color and there 

 is a dull pinkish line along the middle of the back, and irregular 

 dark wavy subdorsal and lateral lines, the body being a pale straw 

 color. 



The oval cocoon is just below the surface and composed of a 

 thick layer of bits of grass with particles of soil adhering. Within 

 it is smoothly and thinly lined with silk. 



Life history. This species appears to be moderately prolific, 

 as one female deposited 150 eggs after capture and it is estimated 

 that between three and four hundred may be produced. The newly 

 hatched larvae show a marked preference for the axle of a leaf, 



