102 



A short popular account of this insect, with figure, is given on 

 pages 1-1 and 15 of Farmers' Bulletin No. 120. 



THE MORNING-GLORY LEAF-CUTTER. 



(Loxostege obliteralis Walk.) 



Few of our ornamental garden plants suffer so universally from the 

 attacks of insects as does the morning-glory {Ipomcea purpurea et al/). 

 The more common forms of injury are shown on the leaves in the 

 shape of numerous more or less rounded holes, the work of various 

 species of tortoise beetles (particular^ species of Coptocycla), and on 

 the edges of the leaves, where little semicircular or semioblong oval 

 pieces are cut out by leaf -cutting bees (Megachile spp.). Another 

 form of attack is that which will presently be described, the work 

 of the larva of Loxostege obliteralis Walk. {Phlyctamodes obliteralis 

 of Hampson's Revision), no account of which appears to have been 

 hitherto published. 



During the years 1898 and 1899 Messrs. T. A. Keleher and W. S. 

 Canatsey, of this office, reported injury to cultivated morning-glory 

 in the District of Columbia, and the former gentleman, who devoted 

 considerable time to the gathering of larvae in different localities, 

 reported injury also to spearmint and plum. The material secured, 

 together with observations which were conducted in "previous years by 

 Mr. Theo. Pergande, also of this office, and other information obtained 

 by correspondence with Prof. E. E. Bogue, makes it possible to give 

 a fairly complete account of the insect's life history and habits. 



The larva is remarkable not only on account of its great beaut} 1- but 

 also from its curious and evidently characteristic habit of gnawing the 

 petioles or leafstalks on the upper side near the leaf in such a manner 

 that only a small portion of the skin and fiber on the under side remains. 

 The leaf hangs downward and gradually wilts and becomes dry, the larva 

 apparently preferring drying leaves as food to fresh ones. The larvae 

 secrete themselves in the wilting leaves either by drawing together 

 or folding over small leaves, or rolling over the edges of larger ones. 

 In the shelter thus formed they remain during the day, coming forth 

 to feed toward dusk. . 



When the larvae appear in any abundance their work is quite appar- 

 ent, the vines appearing very unsightly where the leaves, partially cut 

 off, die and turn brown. They cut large holes in the leaves, which 

 sometimes present the appearance shown in the illustration at/1 



DESCRIPTIVE. 



The egg. — The egg resembles that of Phlyctcenia rubigalis, pre- 

 viously described in this bulletin. It is scale-like, clear, grayish white 

 when first deposited, so nearly translucent and so flat as to show 



