46 CIRCULAR 8 4 9, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



Tathorhynchus angustiorata (Grote) 



Distribution. — The writer has taken Tathorhynchus angustiorata in 

 Kansas and Nebraska. It is also recorded from Colorado. 



Economic status. — It is of little economic importance. 



Food plants and larval habits. — The larvae were captured on alfalfa, 

 in association with the forage looper (Caenurgina erechtea), and at 

 times were more abundant than the looper. The larvae are diurnal 

 and superficially resemble those of C. erechtea. 



Seasonal history. — The seasonal history of this species is similar to 

 that of the forage looper. 



Natural enemies. — Of 72 larvae reared from field-collected material, 

 3 percent were parasitized by Hymenoptera and 28 percent died of 

 disease caused by 3 species of fungus — Beauveria sp., Isaria sp., and 

 Metarrhizium anisopliae (Metsch). 



Plathypena scabra (Fabricius) 



Green Cloverworm 

 (Fig. 4, AA) 



Distribution. — The green cloverworm is distributed throughout trie 

 United States and southern Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. 



Economic status. — It is of minor importance in the central Great 

 Plains. Occasionally there are widespread outbreaks east of the 

 central Great Plains. 



Food plants and larval habits. — The larvae feed on a wide range of 

 plants, but show a preference for legumes. In the central Great 

 Plains they are abundant in alfalfa at times, particularly in September. 

 The larvae are diurnal, are very active, and at the slightest disturb- 

 ance fall to the ground. When touched, they wriggle about witli 

 amazing speed. When at rest, their green color blends perfectly with 

 the green of alfalfa. 



Seasonal history. — Hill (9) reports that the green cloverworm 

 hibernates in both the larval and pupal stages, and passes through four 

 generations a year at Nashville, Tenn. The adults were taken at 

 lights from late in June to late in October. 



Natural enemies. — Of 56 field-collected larvae, 7 percent developed 

 disease. 



BORING CUTWORMS 



This group of cutworms has developed the habit of boring into the 

 stems or crowns of their host plants. Only two species of this type 

 were found infesting cereal and forage crops in the central Great 

 Plains. 



Crymodes burgessi (Morrison) 



Distribution. — This species is recorded from Massachusetts, New 

 York, Arizona, and Nebraska. The writer has taken both adults and 

 larvae in Kansas. 



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



Food plants and larval habits. — Only two larvae were taken in this 

 investigation. They were boring in the crowns of an undetermined 



