REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST, 1 898 201 



Harvey, F. L. Me. Agricultural experiment station. 13th Report. 

 1897. 1898. p, 173, 174, 177 (ravages). 



Panton, J. H. Ontario agricultural college and experimental farm. 

 23d Report. 1898. p. 18 (mention, as C. sylvatica). 



MAMESTRA PICT A ILarri% 



Zebra caterpillar 



Ord. Lepidoptera: Fam. Noctuidae 



The larva of this species has gained for itself a very unsavory reputa- 

 tion among agricultuiists on account of its numerous depredations on 

 various garden crops, it being particularly fond of cabbage and related 

 plants, sometimes proving very destructive to them. The present 

 season its previous records appear to be outdone by its occurrence in 

 large numbers on timothy hay put into the barn the previous day. 



Remarkable demonstration. The following inquiry was received 



from a correspondent of the Country gentleman : 



I have just finished cutting a 20-acre lot of timothy hay, and put it in 

 the barn yesterday. This morning on going into the barn we found the 

 hay literally covered with caterpillars, say from \\ to if in. long, of 

 a very bright yellow color, wit!") a black stripe from head to tail; head 

 red. Can you tell me what they are? Would you use the hay? We did 

 not see them in the field, but the barn is ahve with them. 



Alexandria Bay, N. Y, W. C. B. 



The following reply to the question in regard to the value of the hay 



for feeding purposes was made : 



It is most probable that the caterpillars observed had been feeding 

 on the grass and were accidentally taken up with the hay. Their 

 appearance in such large numbers on the mow indicates that the majority 

 will work their way out and leave the hay, since it is pr^ibably too 

 hard and dry to be acceptable provender. So long as the hay retains 

 its normal sweet odor, even though a dead caterpillar be seen here and 

 there, it would be perfectly safe to feed out; but if the dead bodies are 

 numerous enough to contaminate it, and impart a foul odor, it would be 

 safer to use it for some other purpose. 



In a subsequent letter with the examples requested, in order that the 

 identity of the species might be established, Mr Browning stated that last 

 year these larvae entirely destroyed his crop of oats on the 20 acres 

 above mentioned, and that so far as his observation went, they were con- 

 fined entirely to that one field. While it may be very proper to question 

 whether it was the larvae oi Mamestra picta that caused this enormous 

 damage to the oats, still the weight of evidence indicates that this species 



