CUTWORMS, ARMYWORMS, AND RELATED SPECIES 33 



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

 central Great Plains. 



Food plants. — The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including 

 garden crops, and on the foliage of apple, cherry, and pear trees. 



Seasonal history. — No larvae were collected. Adults were common 

 at lights in Scottsbluff from May to August. 



Agrotis (formerly Porosagrotis) vetusta (Walker) 



(Figs. 2, N; 4, B; 7, B) 



Distribution. — A. vetusta is recorded from along the Atlantic coast 

 from Nova Scotia to Georgia, and from Michigan, Colorado, British 

 Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. Davis and Dorst (6) reported 

 this species from Utah. The writer has taken both adults and larvae 

 in Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska. 



Economic status. — In the central Great Plains the species is of no 

 consequence economically. No destructive abundance has ever been 

 seen by or reported to the writer. However, Chittenden (3) reports 

 this species to be an important pest along the Atlantic seaboard. 



Food plants. — Chittenden (3) states that the larvae feed on garden 

 plants, tobacco, cotton, and the buds and leaves of berry vines and 

 young peach trees. The writer has taken the larvae in gardens and 

 wastelands. 



Seasonal history. — This species produces a single generation a year. 

 Larvae collected in May reached maturity late that month and, after 

 constructing their pupal cells, remained quiescent until pupation be- 

 gan late in August. Adults emerged in September. Apparently this 

 species passes the winter as a partly grown larva. 



Natural enemies. — Of 23 larvae reared in 1939,1 was parasitized by 

 an unidentified Hymenoptera and 13 developed the fungus disease 

 caused by Sorosporella uvella (Krass). 



Spaelotis clandestine (Harris) 



W-marked Cutworm 



Distribution. — Whelan (23) reports this species to be of northern 

 distribution — in Canada and in the northern United States as far south 

 as Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Cali- 

 fornia. It was taken only at lights in Scottsbluff, Nebr. 



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

 central Great Plains. 



Anicla (formerly Lycophotia) infecta (Ochsenheimer) 



(Figs. 4, Z; 7, R) 



Distribution. — Crumb (5) records the species to be distributed 

 generally over the United States, east of, and including, the States 

 from North Dakota to Texas, but probably most abundant in the 

 South. It is found also in Manitoba, Canada, and in South America 

 as far south as Brazil. 



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

 central Great Plains. It is of minor importance in the South. 



Seasonal history. — It is doubtful if this species passes the winter 



