8 



from which radiate numerous ridges running down the sides to the 

 base or surface in contact with a leaf. The eggs are laid on the 

 surface of leaves or stems of plants near to the ground. From one to 

 many eggs may be placed close together in one batch, and one moth 

 may produce several batches amounting to two or four hundred eggs. 



"The larvae hatch from the eggs in a few days (usually two to 

 four). They molt five times at intervals of two to six days and 

 become full-grown in about one month. The full-grown caterpillar is 

 about 1.75 inches long (45 mm.). It is of a nearly uniform dark, 

 greasy-gray color, paler below. The spiracles are black. The tubercles 

 are conspicuous, showing as regular rows of brownish dots. Head 

 and dorsal part of segment behind head dark brown. 



"The pupa is formed in an earthen cell a little below the surface 

 of the soil. It is about .75 inch long (20 to 23 mm.), uniform medium 

 brown in color, with a dark dorsal band at apex of abdominal seg- 

 ments 4, 5, 6 and 7, containing irregularly arranged small pits. At 

 the tip of abdomen are two large tapering spines, black at base and 

 pale at tip, a little distance apart at base, slightly diverging but 

 curved together at their tips. 



"The moth emerges from the pupa in ten days to three weeks. It 

 is about two inches in expanse of wings. It is of a dark gray color 

 with black eyes and collar. The fore wings are velvety blackish 

 brown except the outer one-third, which is paler brown. There is a 

 distinct U-shaped black mark a little beyond middle of wing, a black 

 dash extending from its outer side, and two black dashes farther 

 toward the end of the wings. Hind wings light gray, brown on outer 

 margin and on veins." 



He says of it : 



"It is a well-known garden cut-worm throughout the United States. 

 It ranges in America from Hudson Bay south to Uruguay, is common 

 in Europe, also occurs in northern and southern Africa, India, China, 

 Japan, Java, Australia and New Zealand. It is a typical cutworm in 

 its feeding habits, i.e. feeding on plants at night-time, often cutting 

 off small plants at or below the surface of the soil, and hiding under 

 leaves, trash, or burrowing in the soil during the daytime. It is a 

 very general feeder, attacking nearly all kinds of garden and field 

 crops and even weeds. * * * In the United States they are partic- 

 ularly troublesome to corn, cotton, cabbage, tomato, and tobacco, 

 attacking the young plants, one cutworm often destroying several 

 plants in one night. In India they are destructive to young tea and 

 coffee plants and opium." 



As Mr. Swezey observes, the cutworms are night-feeders. 

 Their method of attack is to eat directly through the stem, 

 cutting it off just above the level of the ground. They are 

 usually present in large numbers and inflict incalculable dam- 

 age. If, as is often the case, half of the plants in a field are 

 attacked and replanting becomes necessary, with the conse- 

 quent setback to the crop, cutworm injury becomes a serious 

 matter indeed. Keplanting to such an extent may be avoided 



