7 



CUTWORMS. 



Of the several insects injuring the cotton plant in the early 

 stages of its growth, cutworms undoubtedly do the greatest 

 damage. From the time the seedling gets above the surface 

 of the ground until it is a foot or more in height and has begun 

 to square out. it is subject to the attacks of these extremely 

 voracious and ubiquitous larvae. The cutworm that has been 

 observed to attack cotton most frequently is the larva of the 

 common moth. Agrotis ypsilon Rottenburg. although the larvae 



Fig. 2 — Cutworm and moth, Agrotis ypsilon Rott. Both twice nat. size. 

 (Copied from Swezey-) 



of Heliophila unipuncta. Agrotis saucia. A. dislocata and A. crini- 

 gera have similar habits and may also attack cotton. Mr. 0. H. 

 Swezey.^ assistant entomologist of the Hawaiian Sugar Plant- 

 ers' Experiment Station, gives the following account of the life- 

 history of Agrotis ypsilon : 



"The eggs are domeshaped, about 0.5 mm. in diameter, and creamy 

 white in color. There is a small circular depression at the upper pole 



a Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Expt. Sta., Div. Ent. Cir. 5. 



