110 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. 



ficial introduction of parasites as one of the efficient measures to be 

 taken in the control of a serious pest. 



That Autographa gamma califomica may appear in enormous 

 numbers is evidenced by one of the earliest biological records on 

 this species. A note in the Bureau of Entomology files, made by 

 Mr. Koebele 1 in 1886, states that on the morning of April 30 he 

 examined a mass of material collected from within an electric light 

 globe at Los Angeles, Cal. Of 4,161 moths examined, 2,005 were 

 Autographa gamma califomica. He further states that the larvse 

 were numerous on a variety of plants. In anticipation of such an 

 outbreak the biological notes and other data at hand in this office are 

 herewith published. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Specimens of this moth {Autographa gamma califomica) in the 

 United States National Museum were collected in Los Angeles 

 County, Kern County, Placer, Alameda, and Fresno, Cal.; Colo- 

 rado ; Nevada ; Seattle, Pullman, and Easton, Wash. ; and along 

 Kaslo Creek, in British Columbia. Mr. T. H. Parks, of this office, 

 has collected, larvse of this species at Cokeville, Wyo., and Idaho 

 Falls and Blackfoot, Idaho, in all cases feeding on alfalfa. 



SEASONAL HISTORY. 



This insect, in the Palouse region of Washington, passes the winter 

 as hibernating pupa and probably also as the adult moth, since 

 much-battered adults are to be seen early in the spring. Late in May 

 and throughout June the adults are to be seen in the alfalfa and 

 clover, darting rapidly away when disturbed. They are active in 

 bright sunlight, feeding on the nectar from the clover and alfalfa 

 blossoms. . The flight, though short, is very direct and so rapid as 

 to render the insect almost invisible. 



May 2, 1887, Mr. Koebele 1 records observing one of these moths, at 

 Alameda, Cal., ovipositing on Malva rotuncli folia at 3 o'clock in the 

 afternoon. Definite data relative to the length of the egg stage of 

 this species have not been obtained, though several female moths 

 were confined for that purpose. They fed greedily on sugar sirup 

 but refused to oviposit. However^ Mr. E. O. G. Kelly, of this 

 bureau, captured a female of Autographa brassicce Biley in an alfalfa 

 field at Wellington, Kans., on October 27, 1909. This moth died 

 the following day, after laying eight eggs. These began hatching on 

 November 2 and were all hatched the next day. This limits the 

 egg stage of Autographa hrassicce to seven days, and this is very likely 

 the time of incubation of the other species of this genus. 



1 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 95 K. 



