73 
THE CELERY LOOPER 
(Plusia simplex Guen. ) 
In some portions of our country, as, for example, in Illino s, this 
species to a certain extent takes the place of the cabbage looper 
(Plusia hrassicse Riley). It is stated to be the commonest species of 
its genus in Illinois, and is rather generally distributed in the United 
States east of the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to New Mexico. In 
most places, however, where it has come under observation it is con- 
siderably rarer. It is described by Messrs. Forbes & Hart as a very 
destructive celery insect, and has been bred by them from sugar beet, 
and by Mr. Coquillett from lettuce as well as celery. To the latter 
we are indebted for our principal account of the species. 
Fig. 16.— Plusia simplex: male moth at left, larva at right- 
what enlarged (original). 
DESCRIPTIVE. 
The moth (fig. 16) is decidedly dissimilar to that of the cabbage 
looper, having a greater wing expanse, nearly two inches, entirely 
different coloration, and differently shaped upper wings. These differ- 
ences are brought out quite distinctly in the accompanying illustra- 
tion. The lower edges of the fore- wings have a well-defined conical 
projection. The border 
is not scalloped, the color 
is somewhat purplish 
brown, the darker shades 
being velvety brown. 
The silver marks are 
very distinct, and form 
the pattern illustrated. 
The hind - wings are 
ochreous or yellowish 
brown, strongly banded with dark fuscous, particularly toward the 
white border. The ground color of the thorax, fore-wings, and 
abdomen is duller than that of the hind-wings. The lower surface is 
pale ochreous, Avith a rather distinct darker band running through 
both wings near the middle. 
The egg is described by Coquillett as milky white, flattened, globular, 
or turnip-shaped, sometimes with an impressed spot in the center of 
the upper surface. The upper half of the egg is grooved vertically; 
the grooves are narrow and the spaces between them roughened. The 
transverse diameter is about gV inch. 
The larva (fig. 16) is similar to the cabbage looper, and in the examples 
seen rather more robust posteriorly. The color is very pale }^ellowish 
green, and the markings are very similar to those of the cabbage 
looper, but all of the larvae examined have the supra-spiracular spots 
black, which only occasionally happens with the cabbage species. 
The length is about the same, li inches when full} 7 extended. 
