370 
stationed at the Experiment Station at Schuyler, Colfax County, Nebr. 
The same year the matter was investigated, by Mr. Lawrence Bruner, 
who reported briefly upon the species upon pages 37 to 40 of Bulletin 
No. 30 of this Division. In Insect Life (vol. v, pp. 320-322) was pub- 
lished an editorial article giving the results of brief observations made 
during the fall of 1892 and early spring of 1893. 
During the summer of 1893 damage to sugar-beets was not noticed, 
and the outbreak of 1892, which attracted so much attention, must be 
considered as unusual and, perhaps, owing to unusual conditions. Mr. 
Bruner shows that the insects were more plentiful in the middle of 
large fields than in small ones and in those which were allowed to run 
to pigweed (Chenopodium) the preceding year than those in which 
these weeds were kept down. It was also more abundant in places 
where the soil was sandy than elsewhere. It is believed, therefore, 
that Chenopodium is the normal food-plant of the species. 
In these several accounts certain details in the life history of the 
insect are omitted and these I may briefly mention in this article. 
The larvae were first observed in 1892, in the latter part of July, when 
they appeared in enormous numbers in the beet-fields at Schuyler. An 
August generation followed, and although in the Annual Eeport for 
1892 it was surmised that there were three and possibly four genera- 
tions, the fact was not definitely known. The moths issued in the 
Insectary at Washington the last week in May and the first week in 
June, from cocoons sent in the latter part of September from Nebraska, 
and also early in May from the same location, making it reasonably 
certain that there is a June generation of caterpillars and that the 
insect is in Nebraska normally three-brooded. 
The method of hibernation is in the larval state within a long, sub- 
cylindrical silken case closely plastered with earth, such as is figured 
in Insect Life (vol v, p. 231, Figs. 43tf and 45a and b). In the Insec- 
tary the larvae transformed to pupae during May. A lot of cases 
received in May, 1 892, from Nebraska contained 72 in the larval con- 
dition and 53 in the pupal condition. One of the larvae had just 
changed to pupa. The first moth issued May 10 and the last one 
June 9. 
During the same year (1892) the same insect was received from Men- 
don, Mich., where it was reported as damaging Tansy grown by one of 
the members of the so-called " Park Central Mint Growers' Cooperative 
Association." The patch in which the larvae were found contained five 
or six acres in rows three feet apart. The larva first made its appear- 
ance in August and caused very considerable damage by eating the 
leaves. A later brood appeared the latter part of September and 
caused the loss of about 50 per cent on the yield of oil from the patch. 
The larvae were cared for in the Insectary and the first moth issued 
May 11, 1893. Other food-plants of the species will doubtless be found. 
