REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



291 



wings whitish, with a darker shade along the posterior border. Detailed 

 descriptions of the earlier states are given in the original articles already 

 alluded to. The eggs are, so far, unknown. 



THE GRANULATED OtJT-WORM. 

 (Larva of Agrotis annexa Treitschke.) 

 [Plate Hj Fig. 1.] 



This species is perhaps the most prominent of the cut-worms which 

 have been sent to the Department. The moth is an old and well-known 

 species, originally described by Treitschke in 1825, and successively 

 treated by Boisduval, Stephens, and Guen^e. It is given by the latter 

 author as a common North American species. In the British Museum 

 Catalogue itis enteredfrom the United States, East Florida, St. Domingo, 

 Jamaica, and Port Natal, while Guen^e gives it as "rare au Bresil." 



Concerning the larval habits, Guenee says: 



The larva lives in the spring upon almost all garden vegetables, such as peas and 

 beans; but it is especially the cereals which it attacks, and in certain years it occa- 

 sions considerable loss to wheat, particularly in Virginia. It buries itself during the 

 day in a cavity at the roots, and issues ouly at night to feed. Its habits, therefore, 

 are the same as those of almost all Agrotids. But what is exceptional is that it also 

 injures trees, for it devours the leaves of the cotton-plant, and sometimes does great 

 damage. It pupates under ground the middlo of May, and the moth issues about the 

 first of June. 



The species has a wide distribution in the United States. It is found 

 from Kew York west to the Mississippi and south to Florida and Ala- 

 bama. It is probably the most common of the species which were col- 

 lectively designated by Glover, and are still known by Southern plant- 

 ers as "the cotton cut-worm," cutting off the young plants soon after 

 they appear above the surface of the ground. The species is a general 

 feeder, as we have found it feeding upon grass, clover, plantain, dande- 

 lion, cabbage, cotton, and many other plants. Prof. S, A. Forbes sent 

 us specimens in April, 1882, with the statement that they had seriously 

 injured cabbage-plants in the vicinity of formal, 111. 



In the Northern States there is probably but one generation in a 

 season, but in Georgia and other Southern States the worms may be 

 found at almost any time of the year in almost any stage of growth, so 

 that it is difficult to determine the number of broods without an exten- 

 sive rearing of individuals. There are probably, however, at least three 

 annual generations in Georgia. They pass the winter, so far as we have 

 observed, in the larva state, retiring under sticks or stones during the 

 cold weather. This is the worm to which we refer presently in the 

 passage on remedies for Cabbage cut- worms, as having been trapped 

 in such enormous numbers by Dr. A. Oemler, of Savannah, Ga. 



The larva (Plate II, Fig. 1, a) is of a dull gray color, and may be easily 

 recognized by what we have indicated in the popular name as its graiir 

 ulttte appearance. The whole body, when viewed with a strong lens, is 

 closely covered with very small, round, blackish granules, each bearing 

 a minute sharp point. 



The general color of the body and front wings of the moth (Plate II, 

 Fig. 1, h) is dirty yellowish gray. The front wings are marked with 

 black, as shown in the figure. The hind wings are pure white and 

 slightly iridescent, with faint brown shades at tips. Among upward 

 of fifty specimens which we have reared from the larva the variation 

 is not very marked, though some are much darker than others. 



