CUTWORMS, ARMYWORMS, AND RELATED SPECIES 37 



about the middle of August and ending early in October. All attempts 

 to carry the larvae through the summer failed. This species passed the 

 winter as a partly grown larva. The larvae reached maturity early 

 in April and the moths emerged in May and June. Eggs deposited 

 by these adults produced larvae which were nearly mature by the 

 last of June. In rearing work all these larvae died suddenly during 

 the first heat of summer early in July. 



Natural enemies. — Of 22 larvae collected in the field, none were 

 parasitized or diseased. 



Anicla (formerly Agrotis) badinodis (Grote) 



(Figs. 4, T; 5, D; 7, N) 



A discussion of this species was published by the writer (18) in 1937. 



Distribution. — The recorded distribution of this cutworm includes 

 Canada and the Atlantic Coast States from New York to North 

 Carolina, and westward to Iowa, Kansas, and Texas. 



Economic status. — This species is of no economic importance in the 

 central Great Plains. 



Food plants. — Crumb (5) records among its food plants, clover, 

 Rumex crispus L., Sisymbrium officinale L., chickweed, Aster ericoides 

 L., and tobacco. The writer has taken the larvae in clumps of volun- 

 teer wheat, in surface trash along roadside hedges, and in grassy 

 areas adjoining wheat and alfalfa fields; also at night feeding on the 

 tender leaves of alfalfa. 



Seasonal history. — This species has one generation annually. The 

 adults appear early in October and in some years are present until the 

 first week in November. The eggs are deposited soon after the females 

 emerge and hatch in about 2 weeks. This species passes the winter 

 in the larval stage. By April 20 of the following spring the larvae 

 have reached maturity and entered the soil for pupation. They pass 

 the summer in the pupal stage, and the adults emerge in October, 

 thereby completing the yearly cycle. 



Reproductive capacity. — When 17 females, reared from egg to adult 

 in the laboratory, were dissected, the number of eggs ranged from 536 

 to 1,300 and averaged 880. 



Natural enemies. — Larvae were never numerous, and over a period 

 of several years only 38 were collected. Of this number 11 percent 

 were parasitized by undetermined Hymenoptera and 5 percent were 

 killed by fungus disease. 



Rhynchagrotis cupida (Grote) 



Distribution. — The writer has taken the adults of Rhynchagrotis 

 cupida in light traps at Wichita, Kans., and Scottsbluff, Nebr. It 

 has also been reported from Ohio. 



Economic status. — This species is of no economic importance in the 

 central Great Plains. It was reported doing damage to fruit buds in 

 Ohio in 1925. 



