REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I905 



63 



Early history. The widespread depredations of 1896, at which 

 time this pest inflicted its maximum injury, are still fresh in mind. 

 The numbers of this species fluctuate widely at irregular inter- 

 vals. The first authentic report of injury in New York so far as 

 known occurred in 1817, when many meadows and pastures in the 

 northern towns of Rensselaer county and the eastern portions of 

 Saratoga county were rendered as " barren as heath." Some in- 

 jury was recorded in 1842 from the western part of the State and 

 severe ravages were committed in 1861 in the vicinity of Buffalo, 

 near the head of Seneca lake and at several other points in the 

 southern and western counties. Depredations by this species were 

 reported from Tioga county in 1871, and four years later it at- 

 tracted notice the latter part of July and the middle of August on 

 Long Island. It was again destructive in 1880, caterpillars ap- 

 pearing in June on Long Island where they caused much alarm. 



Description. This insect is one of our common grass-feeding 

 species, which is present in greater or less numbers in grass fields 

 from year to year. Its habits are such that it is ordinarily ob- 

 served only when conditions allow it to become abnormally abun- 

 dant and destructive. 



The eggs are smooth, white when first law!, turning gradually 

 to a pale straw color before hatching and arc about T V mc ^ m 

 diameter. They are usually deposited in adhesive masses and may 

 be found between the leaf sheath and the stem of grass, the toughest 

 stalks in the thickest clumps being a favorite place of deposit. They 

 are also laid on herbs, dead stems, stalks and in less favorable places 

 when the moths arc abundant. 



The young caterpillars, rarely seen, are about * inch long, of 

 a dull, translucent color with brownish black or yellowish head with 

 dark eyes. These recently hatched caterpillars walk in a looping 

 manner, somewhat like measuring worms. After the first molt the 

 young caterpillars are \ inch long, the head is darker and the 

 striping observed in full grown individuals is becoming apparent. 

 The general color of the body is yellowish green with three more 

 or less well defined brownish lines on each side of the body. The 

 looping habit is still continued. 



The full grown caterpillar has the head light brown with variable 

 dark brown markings, there being more or less indistinct, broken, 

 oblique, sublateral stripes of dark brown. Thoracic shield light 

 brown with distinct median and sublateral white lines. Body a 

 variable greenish with fuscous markings and with more or less 



