

82 



smaller and slenderer body. The head is proportionately smaller, 

 nearly black, and with a white inverted Y-shaped mark in front not 

 -possessed by the army worm. 



The body is striped on a ground color which varies above from pale 

 yellowish brown, to black, more or less strongly streaked and inter- 

 mixed with dull yellow. Three thin stripes of pale yellow extend 

 along the dorsal surface through the thoracic shield to the anal extrem- 

 ity. The dorsal or middle line is nearly straight, and the subdorsal 

 ones are feebly sinuate. On each side there is a broad yellow undulat- 

 ing line, more or less strongly mottled with red. particularly in the 

 vicinity of the abdominal legs. The ventral or lower surface is paler, 

 varying from dull yellow to greenish, sometimes very strongly mixed 

 with red. 



The pupa resembles that of the army worm, but is of smaller size. 

 and the spiracles and a considerable proportion of the surrounding tis- 

 sues are larger and more prominent in the former. The length in this 

 stage is about live-eighths of an inch. 



DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPECIES. 



The distribution given by Dr. Smith in 1S93 (Bui. -H. U. S. Nat. 

 Mu-.. p. 169) is from "Canada, south to Florida and Texas, west to 

 Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas. Jamaica. Brazil." The insect has also 

 been reported to us from Colorado and Montana, and specimens were 

 received during the year from Cuba. 



The specie^ is native American and probably indigenous to the 

 United States, but has. evidently, spread from the Gulf States north- 

 ward in rather recent years. At present it occupies the Tropical. 

 Lower Austral, and Upper Austral life zones, and has been reported 

 to occur in the Transition faunal area, and appears to be traveling 

 slowly still farther northward. 



HISTOEY AXD HABITS- 



The fall army worm was first described in 1797. in Smith and Abbot's 

 Natural History of the Lepidopterous Insects of Georgia, or one hun- 

 dred and two years before the present general outbreak. Since that 

 time ravage> have been noticed at various periods and in - different 

 localities, in 1845, 1S55. 1868, 1870, 1*7:2. 1S73. 1881, and 1883, these 

 irruptions being noted in only one or two States in a single year. 



The first outbreak of any extent occurred in 1884, followed by a 

 smaller outbreak in the ensuing year. Later reports of injury were 

 received in 1^2. 1896, and 1897. 



The list of plants which serve as food for the fall army worm during 

 its periods of abundance include, besides grasses and grains of all sorts, 

 sugar cane, buckwheat, alfalfa, clover, cowpeas, sugar beets, cotton, 

 tobacco. >weet potatoes, spinach, turnips, tomatoes, cucumbers, cab- 



