﻿THE 
  ARMY 
  WORM: 
  FOOD-PLANTS. 
  117 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  connection 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  well 
  to 
  state 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  Department 
  

   grounds 
  at 
  Washington 
  the 
  newly-hatched 
  worms 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  

   a 
  folded 
  clover 
  leaf, 
  feeding 
  thus 
  protected, 
  and 
  under 
  such 
  circum- 
  

   stauces 
  as 
  rendered 
  it 
  probable 
  that 
  they 
  had 
  hatched 
  there. 
  We 
  have 
  

   already 
  given 
  instances 
  of 
  egg-laying 
  on 
  clover. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Lock 
  wood 
  also 
  states 
  in 
  his 
  report, 
  that 
  even 
  the 
  common 
  rag- 
  

   weed 
  (Ambrosia 
  artemisicefolia) 
  was 
  eaten 
  clean 
  by 
  the 
  worms, 
  and 
  also, 
  

   that 
  the 
  worms 
  in 
  passing 
  through 
  a 
  strawberry 
  patch 
  devoured 
  both 
  

   the 
  leaves 
  of 
  the 
  i3lant 
  and 
  the 
  unripe 
  fruit. 
  

  

  In 
  June, 
  1882, 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  worms 
  were 
  received 
  from 
  Mr. 
  Ohas. 
  

   G. 
  Eockwood, 
  Hammonton, 
  Atlantic 
  Co., 
  N. 
  J., 
  with 
  the 
  statement 
  that 
  

   they 
  had 
  done 
  great 
  damage 
  to 
  his 
  cranberry 
  crop. 
  

  

  Experiments 
  made 
  at 
  the 
  Department 
  during 
  June, 
  1882, 
  showed 
  that 
  

   the 
  worms 
  in 
  confinement 
  will 
  live, 
  thrive, 
  and 
  undergo 
  their 
  metamor- 
  

   phoses 
  when 
  fed 
  exclusively 
  upon 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  following 
  plants 
  : 
  garden 
  

   poppy, 
  beet, 
  lettuce, 
  cabbage, 
  raspberry, 
  onion, 
  parsnip, 
  radish, 
  car- 
  

   rot, 
  and 
  pea. 
  They 
  refused 
  to 
  feed, 
  however, 
  on 
  bean, 
  cotton, 
  grape 
  

   and 
  hemlock, 
  while 
  on 
  strawberry 
  they 
  fed 
  slightly, 
  but 
  all 
  died. 
  It 
  

   will 
  be 
  noticed 
  that 
  eight 
  botanical 
  families 
  are 
  represented 
  among 
  the 
  

   plants 
  on 
  which 
  they 
  thrived, 
  viz. 
  : 
  Fapaveracece^ 
  Chenoj^odiacece, 
  Gom- 
  

   positce, 
  CruciferWj 
  Rosacew, 
  Liliacece, 
  JJmhelliferw^ 
  and 
  Leguminosw. 
  

  

  It 
  may 
  also 
  be 
  well 
  to 
  state, 
  finally, 
  that, 
  like 
  its 
  southern 
  prototype, 
  

   the 
  Grass 
  Worm 
  [Laphygma 
  friigiperda), 
  the 
  Army 
  Worm 
  when 
  on 
  

   the 
  march 
  does 
  not 
  hesitate 
  at 
  cannibalism 
  to 
  satisf^^ 
  its 
  hunger, 
  and 
  

   many 
  individuals 
  are 
  killed 
  and 
  devoured 
  by 
  their 
  stronger 
  fellows. 
  

  

  Duration 
  of 
  the 
  Pupa 
  State, 
  

  

  Upon 
  reaching 
  its 
  full 
  growth 
  the 
  Army 
  Worm 
  ordinarily 
  burrows 
  

   for 
  an 
  inch 
  or 
  more 
  below 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ground, 
  aud 
  there 
  trans- 
  

   forms 
  to 
  the 
  pupa 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  previously 
  described. 
  Often, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  when 
  occurring 
  in 
  great 
  numbers, 
  this 
  precaution 
  is 
  not 
  taken, 
  and, 
  

   the 
  worms 
  pupate 
  under 
  stones, 
  boards, 
  logs, 
  or 
  other 
  rubbish, 
  without 
  

   entering 
  the 
  ground. 
  More 
  or 
  less 
  silk 
  is 
  simn 
  around 
  the 
  body 
  at 
  

   such 
  times 
  and 
  i^articles 
  of 
  dirt 
  attached 
  to 
  it. 
  The 
  duration 
  of 
  the 
  

   pupa 
  state 
  varies 
  of 
  course 
  with 
  the 
  climate 
  and 
  season. 
  Ordinarily 
  

   northern 
  writers 
  place 
  it 
  at 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  three 
  weeks. 
  Mr. 
  D. 
  W. 
  

   Coquillett, 
  in 
  raising 
  the 
  worms 
  in 
  northern 
  Illinois, 
  found 
  the 
  length 
  

   in 
  July 
  to 
  vary 
  from 
  nine 
  to 
  sixteen 
  days 
  through 
  the 
  intervening 
  

   times 
  of 
  ten, 
  eleven, 
  thirteen, 
  and 
  fourteen 
  days. 
  The 
  moths 
  issued 
  

   most 
  abundantly 
  after 
  thirteen 
  aud 
  fourteen 
  days. 
  In 
  our 
  breeding 
  

   Ciiges 
  both 
  at 
  St. 
  Louis 
  and 
  Washington 
  the 
  average 
  i)eriod 
  in 
  midsum- 
  

   mer 
  has 
  been 
  about 
  thirteen 
  days. 
  

  

  Habits 
  of 
  the 
  Moth. 
  

  

  Food. 
  — 
  Few 
  actual 
  observations 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  upon 
  the 
  food 
  of 
  

   the 
  moths. 
  They 
  undoubtedly 
  feed 
  upon 
  the 
  nectar 
  of 
  various 
  flowers. 
  

   Mr. 
  D. 
  W. 
  Coquillett 
  has 
  taken 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  evening 
  upon 
  the 
  blossoms 
  

  

  