CUTWORMS, ARMYWORMS, AND RELATED SPECIES 45 



Food plants.- — Calendula, Phlox, and gumplant (Grindelia squarrosa 

 (Pursh) Dunal) are its common host plants. 



Seasonal history. — Two larvae of this species were taken on 

 Calendula. They were diurnal. This is probably a multiple-genera- 

 tion species, the moths being captured at lights from April to 

 September. 



Anagrapha falcifera (Kirby) 



Celery Looper 



Distribution. — This species is widely distributed in the United States. 



Economic status. — It is of no economic importance in the central 

 Great Plains. 



Food plants and larval habits. — The writer has taken this species on 

 sweetclover. The larvae are diurnal. 



Trjchoplusia ni (Hiibner) (formerly Autographa brassicae 



(Riley)) 



Cabbage Looper 



Distribution. — The cabbage looper is widely distributed in the 

 United States and Canada. 



Economic status. — This species is of no importance as a pest of 

 cereal and forage crops in the central Great Plains, but it is destructive 

 as a garden pest. 



Food plants and larval habits. — The larvae are diurnal and are 

 general feeders, but prefer cruciferous crops. The writer has taken 

 the larvae on sweetclover. 



Caenurgina erechtea (Cramer) 



Forage Looper 

 (Fig. 4, BB) 



Distribution. — The forage looper is widely distributed in Canada 

 and in the United States as far west as Utah. 



Economic status. — It is of minor economic importance throughout 

 its range. 



Food plants and, larval habits. — The larvae are diurnal and are 

 general feeders, although found most frequently in alfalfa and pasture 

 lands. 



Seasonal history. — Apparently there are three generations of this 

 species a year. It passes the winter in the pupal stage, the adults 

 emerging early in the spring. The fact that adults were taken at 

 lights throughout the season indicates an overlapping of generations 

 in common with most of the multiple-brooded species. The larvae 

 are most abundant in the fall. They make flimsy cocoons of silk and 

 leaves in which they pupate on the surface of the soil. 



Natural enemies.— Oi 29 larvae reared, 14 percent were parasitized 

 by unidentified Hymenoptera. 



