34 
V_^ 
lighter moth. The distribution of this species is wide, inckiding 
the territory from Massachusetts to the Gulf, and westward to Cali- 
fornia, but it occurs in greater numbers southward. In the northern 
portion of its range it is occasionally killed off by exceedingly cold 
winter temperatures, as happened in 1899. The larvae are found 
abroad from April to November. As with other species which have 
apparently come northward from the Gulf region, this species is 
most destructive in the autumn of the 3'ear. It is credited with being 
double-brooded, and possibly three generations are produced in the 
South. LarvEe have been observed by the writer to complete their 
development in a month, and the pupal period varies from 12 to 25 
days. The winter is evidently passed in the pupal condition, in which 
respect this species differs from the ordinary cutworm. 
THE GREEN BEET LEAF-WORM. 
\ Peridronia incivis Guen. i 
In certain years and localities, as in Illinois in 1899 and 1900, this 
species is more abundant on beet leaves than any other caterpillar. It 
feeds on both surfaces of a leaf, and has been observed eating purslane, 
which is doubtless its nat- 
ural food plant. 
The larva, also called 
green cutworm, is green 
with a white or pinkish 
stripe on each side of the 
body. The species is gen- 
erally distributed, and quite 
common in Illinois and Ken- 
tucky, where it is appar- 
ently double -brooded. 
XATUKAL EXEMIES. 
Cutworms are exposed to 
Fig. Z\.—Euphrocera claripennis, a common cutworm par- ^ great variCtV OI natural en- 
emies, but as a rule these are 
not efficient checks except 
when the cutworms appear in great numbers and travel like the army 
worms. At such times many species of predaceous and parasitic insects 
and j^redatory mammals and birds, wild and domestic, destroy them in 
great numbers. Of the predaceous enemies ground beetles are most 
abundant, while the parasites include numerous species of ichneumon 
and tachina flies and a few chalcis flies. A common species of tachina fly 
is shown in figure 31. Cutworms are also subject to a fungous disease 
Empusa auUcce. Among birds which are beneficial by feeding upon 
cutworms are robins, crows, the bluebird, and the bluejay, and among 
domestic animals are chickens, ducks, turkeys, Guinea fowls, and hogs. 
asite: adult with puparium at right and enlarged an- 
tenna at left (from Howard. Division of Entomologv). 
