CUTWORMS, ARMYWORMS, AND RELATED SPECIES 29 



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



Food plants. — The larvae were taken in little barley and around the 

 bases of clumps of volunteer wheat. 



Seasonal history. — Little is known of the seasonal activities of this 

 species. Full-grown larvae were taken late in March and early in 

 April, an indication that it passes the winter as a partly grown larva. 

 The larvae pupated early in April and produced adults the last of 

 April and early in May. This species probably has two or more 

 generations a year. 



Dipterygia scabriuscula (Linnaeus) 



(Fig. 4, V) 



Distribution. — Holland (10) gives the distribution of Dipterygia 

 scabriuscula as being from the Atlantic coast westward to the Rocky 

 Mountains. Adults were taken at lights in Cherryvale, Manhattan, 

 and Garden City, Kans., and at Lincoln and ScottsblufT, Nebr. 



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



Food plants. — Larvae fed readily on dock (Rumex sp.) in captivity, 

 but would not feed on kno tweed (Polygonum sp.), alfalfa, clover, 

 wheat, grape, carrot, beet, bean, and calendula. No host plant other 

 than dock is known. 



Seasonal history. — Adults were taken in light traps from April to 

 September, an indication that the species is multiple-brooded. No 

 other stages were found in the field. Under cage conditions in July 

 the moths deposited their eggs singly among the soil particles at the 

 ground surface. The eggs hatched in 4 to 5 days. The larvae 

 developed rapidly, but failed to reach the pupal stage because the 

 supply of dock was exhausted and all larvae perished. 



Elaphria (formerly Monodes) grata (Hiibner) 



Distribution. — This species has been recorded from the Atlantic 

 States only. However, adults were collected at lights in Manhattan, 

 Kans., which would indicate a more extensive range. 



Economic status. — This species is not known to be of any economic 

 importance. 



Food plants. — No information is available on the host plants. 



Seasonal history. — One larva taken in surface trash on February 6 

 pupated on February 21, and the adult emerged on March 19. 



Platyperigea (formerly Athetis) meralis (Morrison) 



Distribution. — According to Holland (10), this species is recorded 

 from the Atlantic seaboard to the interior of New Mexico and is 

 common in Texas. The adults were caught at lights in Manhattan, 

 Kans., and larvae were taken at Chadron, Nebr., and at Wichita, 

 Kans. 



Economic status. — This species is not known to be of any economic 

 importance. 



Food plants. — No information is available on the host plants. 



Seasonal history. — One larva, taken in pasture land near Chadron 

 on May 2, constructed a silk-soil cell on May 10, and the adult emerged 

 on June 4. An adult emerged on May 2 from a pupa taken on April 18. 



