68 



During 1898 several larvae were brought to the office at different 

 times in late August and earl} T September by Mr. P. H. Dorsett found 

 feeding upon violets at Garrett Park, Md. , and were also taken by the 

 writer upon potted violets on the Department grounds. A larva which 

 was nearly full grown September 6, 1898, and which entered the ground 

 a day or two later, issued as moth October 16. From larvae obtained 

 from the same source September 29 moths were obtained November 10. 

 A larva received on greenhouse violets October 11 issued as a moth in 

 a warm room January 7, 1899. 



During 1899 this larva was met with on only two occasions, early in 

 September, when the species was found feeding upon the hogweed, 

 Amaranthus retroflexus, on the Department grounds. A moth from 

 this lot was reared September 27, 1899. 



October 7 three larvae were taken by Mr. Pratt on asparagus in the 

 District of Columbia. 



June 11, 1900, Mr. T. C. Knoop, Fountain, Okla., sent larvae of this 

 species with report that they were injurious to garden plants, and espe- 

 cially to cabbage. They were noticed in great numbers in the evening, 

 and were seldom found during the da} r . They were stated to have 

 destroyed several thousa'nd plants on our correspondent's farm, neces- 

 sitating much replanting. 



July 1 a larva taken on tomato at Cabin John, Md. , was one-fourth 

 grown. At the end of a week it was three-fourths grown. The moth 

 issued July 28. July 9 a larva was observed attacking cucumber at 

 Cabin John, Md. 



Larvae were subsequently taken about Washington, D. C, at inter- 

 vals in late September and in October, on tomato and on morning glory, 

 moths from which issued as late as the latter days of November. 



October 13 Mr. H. Walter Mc Williams, Griffin, Ga., sent the larva 

 with report that these ' 4 worms " were destroying ruta-baga turnips, 

 field-pea vines, rape, and everything belonging to the cabbage and pea 

 families of plants. The specimen received bore numerous eggs of a 

 Tachina fly on the head and thorax. 



EARLY DIVISIONAL RECORDS. 



Our office notes concerning this species begin with the date August 

 27, 1881, when we received larvae taken at Savannah, Ga. March 10, 

 1882, we received from Mr. Albert Koebele, Archer, Fla. , a larva 

 taken in a cotton field. 



Eggs obtained from a moth of this species taken in the District of 

 Columbia August 22 hatched on the 25th. 



June 30, 1885, a larva was received from Mr. J. H. Ragsdale, 

 Gainesville, Tex., where it was found feeding on cotton. 



May 1, 1888, we received a lot of larvae from Mr. F. M. Webster, 

 at that time at Ashwood, La., found depredating on corn and cabbage. 



