Dec, 8,1923 
Cutworm Septicemia 
495 
during the warmer half of the year. Cases, if there are such, which suffer 
from cutworm septicemia but in which no actual septicemia has occurred, 
it would seem, must have a particularly favorable prognosis. One is 
led to this belief from the low mortality that follows feeding inoculations. 
Those who rear cutworms for purposes of study and who make observa¬ 
tions on them over a considerable period, are interested in avoiding losses 
from cutworm septicemia. To them preventive measures are suggested 
as the treatment which offers the greatest promise. Sterilization of the 
soil and cages used could easily be accomplished by steaming, since 
Bacillus noctuarum is readily destroyed by heat. Other facts given in the 
present paper will aid in devising efficient means for reducing losses from 
this disorder. 
SUMMARY 
Entomologists have observed that sometimes cutworms die and the 
remains soften and turn brown, which deepens into almost black. 
The results of a study of this condition show that it is an infectious 
disease in which there is a marked septicemia preceding death. 
The name cutworm septicemia is here suggested and used for the dis¬ 
order. 
This infection produced by puncture inoculation runs a course of from 
two to four days, the period depending very much upon the temperature. 
The most prominent symptoms of the experimentally produced disease 
are a lessened appetite and finally its failure, listlessness, a lack of tur- 
gidity of the body, a diarrhea, a thin discharge from the mouth, and death. 
The bacterial species occurring in the septicemia is demonstrated 
to be a short, actively motile bacillus to which the name Bacillus noc¬ 
tuarum is here given and used. 
Bacillus noctuarum remains alive for a long period in a moist environ¬ 
ment at ordinary temperature but is readily destroyed by heat and by dry¬ 
ing, being quite susceptible to direct sunlight and to chemical disinfectants. 
The septicemia is not readily produced by feeding but is readily pro¬ 
duced by puncture inoculations, the mortality then being approximately 
100 per cent. 
Homworms, silkworms, catalpa-moth larvae, and grasshoppers are 
also susceptible to inoculation with Bacillus noctuarum when the punc¬ 
ture method is employed. 
The change, if any, in the virulence of a culture of this bacillus after 
four years on artificial media has been slight. 
Bacillus noctuarum is similar in many respects to B. ( Coccobacillus ) 
acridiorum and to B. sphingidis. Serologically they are distinctly 
different. 
Probably the disease is transmitted in nature most often by way of the 
alimentary canal. 
Cutworm septicemia may be suspected from the symptoms and post¬ 
mortem changes. The diagnosis is definitely made by finding Bacillus 
noctuarum present in large numbers. 
Apparently a comparatively small percentage of cutworms die of this 
disease in the field during the more active growing season of the crops on 
which they feed. 
Preventive treatment is suggested to those making studies on cutworms 
and wishing to reduce the loss of insects due to this infection. 
While there is much yet to be learned about cutworm septicemia the 
facts already determined and given in the present paper will suffice to 
answer many questions likely to arise in connection with this disease. 
