﻿ORCHARD 
  INSECTS 
  PACIFIC 
  NORTHWEST 
  

  

  49 
  

  

  Climbing 
  Cutworms 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  spring 
  orcharclists 
  some- 
  

   times 
  find 
  that 
  the 
  opening 
  buds 
  

   on 
  their 
  trees 
  are 
  being 
  eaten 
  into 
  

   and 
  often 
  entirely 
  devoured, 
  al- 
  

   though 
  no 
  insects 
  capable 
  of 
  caus- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  injury 
  are 
  visible 
  (fig. 
  58). 
  

  

  quietly 
  just 
  beneath 
  the 
  soil 
  sur- 
  

   face, 
  under 
  a 
  leaf, 
  or 
  in 
  a 
  bunch 
  

   of 
  grass 
  or 
  alfalfa 
  during 
  the 
  day, 
  

   and 
  climb 
  into 
  the 
  trees 
  at 
  night 
  

   to 
  feed 
  on 
  the 
  tender 
  leaves 
  and 
  

   flower 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  expanding 
  

   buds. 
  Frequently 
  their 
  presence 
  is 
  

   made 
  known 
  by 
  many 
  buds 
  and 
  

   portions 
  of 
  buds 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  

   under 
  the 
  trees, 
  dropped 
  there 
  by 
  

   the 
  worms 
  as 
  they 
  feed. 
  At 
  times 
  

   dozens 
  and 
  even 
  hundreds 
  of 
  these 
  

   worms 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  day- 
  

   time 
  under 
  each 
  tree, 
  and 
  such 
  

   numbers 
  cause 
  severe 
  damage. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Pacific 
  Northwest 
  several 
  

   species 
  of 
  cutworms, 
  including 
  the 
  

   spotted 
  cutworm 
  (fig. 
  59), 
  are 
  re- 
  

  

  » 
  

  

  Figure 
  59. 
  — 
  Spotted 
  cutworms: 
  A, 
  Moth; 
  

   B, 
  larva 
  extended; 
  C, 
  larva 
  curled. 
  

  

  'f 
  

  

  Figure 
  58. 
  — 
  Peach 
  buds 
  showing 
  holes 
  

   made 
  by 
  climbing 
  cutworms. 
  

  

  A 
  careful 
  search 
  among 
  the 
  leaves 
  

   or 
  trash 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  tree 
  will 
  

   probably 
  disclose 
  the 
  culprits. 
  

   They 
  are 
  climbing 
  cutworms, 
  

   smooth, 
  grayish-brown 
  or 
  black- 
  

   ish, 
  greasy-looking 
  worms, 
  usu- 
  

   ally 
  curled 
  up 
  but 
  ranging 
  in 
  

   length 
  from 
  % 
  to 
  1% 
  inches 
  

   when 
  stretched 
  out. 
  They 
  lie 
  

  

  sponsible 
  for 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  damage 
  

   of 
  this 
  type 
  done 
  to 
  fruit 
  trees. 
  

   Their 
  habits 
  are 
  similar. 
  Most 
  of 
  

   them 
  spend 
  the 
  winter 
  as 
  small, 
  

   partly 
  grown 
  worms. 
  In 
  the 
  

   spring 
  they 
  come 
  out 
  of 
  hiberna- 
  

   tion 
  voraciously 
  hungry. 
  For 
  a 
  

   time 
  the 
  tender 
  buds 
  of 
  fruit 
  trees 
  

   offer 
  an 
  attractive 
  food 
  supply, 
  

   and 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  damage 
  is 
  caused 
  

   over 
  a 
  short 
  period. 
  Later 
  the 
  

   worms 
  feed 
  on 
  alfalfa 
  and 
  other 
  

   ground 
  plants. 
  AYhen 
  full-grown 
  

   they 
  construct 
  cells 
  in 
  the 
  soil, 
  

   where 
  they 
  pupate, 
  and 
  the 
  orange- 
  

   brown 
  pupae 
  are 
  often 
  turned 
  up 
  

   when 
  the 
  soil 
  is 
  plowed 
  or 
  spaded. 
  

   The 
  moths 
  emerge 
  at 
  various 
  times 
  

   during 
  the 
  summer 
  and 
  are 
  among 
  

   the 
  fairly 
  large, 
  dull 
  grayish 
  or 
  

   brownish 
  moths 
  seen 
  flying 
  about 
  

  

  