REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I9II 53 



crenulation of darker scales. Hind wings mostly a yellowish 

 brown with purplish brown near the tip. The thorax is thickly 

 covered with purplish brown scales, the abdomen with light 

 brown scales. 



The pupa has a length of about one and one-half inches and 

 a diameter of nearly one-quarter inch. It is chestnut brown, 

 shiny. The anterior margin of the abdominal segments are 

 coarsely and sparsely punctate, the posterior margins thickly 

 and finely punctured. The cremaster is almost black, with two 

 stiff, capitate spines apically and three others on each side. 



The full-grown larva is about two inches long, white, the 

 liead brown and with rows of black spots laterally. 



Life history and habits. The moth is secretive in habit and 

 appears to be quite local in its operations, since Messrs Fletcher 

 and Gibson record the work of this- species in the same locality 

 for three seasons in succession. The adults appear in the fall, 

 September and October, and according to Mr Bird live but a 

 short time. He is of the opinion that the eggs are laid scatter- 

 ingly about the base of the Iris stalks, relying largely on the 

 fact that winter burnings almost surely result in the local ex- 

 termination of this species. He believes that the eggs hatch 

 about the last week in May. The larvae first attack the stems 

 some inches above the ground and gradually work downward, 

 the full-grown caterpillars operating in the roots. Mr Bird 

 states that the larval stages occupy a nine or ten day interval so 

 far as he has followed them, and that there are probably six 

 molts. 



This borer has been recorded as attacking different species of 

 Iris (all species seem to be acceptable according to Mr Bird), 

 including the blue flag, the roots of German lily and also of the 

 blackberry lily, Belamcanda chinensis. Under ordinary 

 conditions this species appears to be held in check by parasites. 



Control measures. Affected stems should be cut out and 

 burned, thus destroying the caterpillars at the inception of the 

 attack. It is probable that thorough spraying with an arsenate 

 of lead applied about the time the insect begins operations, 

 namely, the latter part of May, would be very effective in 

 destroying this pest. Winter burning of the debris on Iris beds, 

 if this can be done without injury to the roots, promises to be 

 the simplest and most effective method of keeping this pest in 

 check. 



