LEPID OP TER A . 
305 
fied, so as to fit it for the peculiar life of the insect. The 
last segment appears as if the dorsal half had been cut 
away; and in the dorsal part of the hind end of the next 
to the last segment, which, on account of the peculiar shape 
of the last segment, is free, there open a pair of spiracles 
much larger than those on the other segments. When not 
feeding the larva rests at the upper end of its burrow, with 
the segment bearing these large spiracles projecting from 
the water. The adult insect is a brownish moth which 
varies greatly in size and markings. Figure 368 represents 
what seems to be the more common form. 
The Zebra Caterpillar, Mamestra picta (Ma-mes'tra 
pic'ta).—Cabbage and other garden vegetables are often 
subject to the attacks of a naked caterpillar, which is of a 
light yellow color, with three broad, longitudinal, black 
stripes, one on each side and the third on the top of the 
back. The stripes on the sides are broken by numerous 
pure white lines (Fig. 369). It passes the winter in the 
pupa state. The adult (Fig. 370) has dark chestnut-brown 
fore wings and pale yellowish hind wings. 
Cut-worms .—Few pests are more annoying than the ras¬ 
cally little harvesters that nightly, in the spring, cut off our 
corn and other plants before they are fairly started. There 
are many species of these cut-worms, but they are all the 
larvae of Owlet-moths. In general their habits are as 
follows: The moths lay their eggs during midsummer. The 
larvae soon hatch, and feed upon the roots and tender shoots 
of herbaceous plants. At this time, as the larvae are small 
and their food is abundant, they are rarely observed. On the 
