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JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
[Vol. 17 
the sugar-cane in the experimental plots of the “South Texas Gardens.” 3 
No further observations were made during that year. 
On January 25, 1913 Mr. E. G. Smythe collected three of these 
larvae from an undetermined species of grass; and on July 5, 1914 the 
writer collected two larvae from Bermuda grass. 
This insect was not observed again until September 21, 1916 when a 
report reached the laboratory that caterpillars were destroying the 
grass in a pasture. Inspection developed that the grass was practically 
destroyed in a field of about 300 acres. The most common grass was 
Panicum fasciculatum associated with other nearly mature grasses and 
weeds. There were larvae of various stages on the grass stems and on the 
ground, and they had eaten the leaves off most of the grass. There were 
many cocoons attached to the stems of the grasses and to weeds and 
many adults flew up as we walked through the field. Three species of 
caterpillars, Cirphis unipuncta Haw., C. latiuscula H. Schr., and Mods 
repanda were located working damage in this field. The latter species 
was most numerous. There also were a number of Laphygma frugiperda 
S. & A., and a few Prodenia sp., the latter feeding on the weeds. 
The larvae were found in another field about three miles from this 
one but no other extensive injury was located. 
During another field trip on September 26, these larvae were found 
feeding on four species of grasses, Cenchnts viridis , Trichloris pluriflora, 
Eriochloa punctata, and Panicum fasciculatum, but they were most 
common on the latter species. The larvae did not appear to be damaging 
cultivated crops and they were not observed again doing damage to 
grasses, which was contrary to expectations, as the large number of 
moths found in the fields would indicate that all grass crops would be 
seriously attacked. 
During the month of October the moths were observed to be very 
numerous flying around every where in the grass and weeds. On 
October 15 they were found to be rather numerous on the sandy ridges 
near the coast. They were also observed on the walls of public buildings 
in Brownsville at night between October 13 and November 6. Mr. T. S. 
Wilson collected a male adult at night November 26 and another from 
grass November 29, which were the last moths observed. 
Food Plants 
The moths of this species seem to prefer fields of grass of the genus 
3 A plant introduction garden maintained for several years by the United States 
Department of Agriculture on the Fort Brown Reservation, located on the Rio 
Grande river adjacent to Brownsville. 
