Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-05-10
THE ARMY WORM.
What the Gotten Pest is Like, and the
Damage it Inficts-HOW They are
to be Treated.

From the Mobile Register,l
Our planters are having so much to do
with the cotton army-wOrm, and, conse-
quently are becomingso well acquainted
with it, ,that much written on the sub
lject could not be of interest to them. We
will therefore, throw together, under this
head, merely a few brief notes, and let
the matter pass for the present.
For the benefit of newcomers, who
may not be familiar with even u most
common Southern insects, we will state
that the cOtton-WOrm (AnOmis rglind),
is a greenish colored caterpillar, Striped
longitudinally with pale lines bearing
black spots or dots. The back is of a
hue darker than ~thegeneral shade of the
insect, and sides are inclined to a pur-
plish tinge. Length, when fully grown
out, one inch.
This troublesome worm is the larva or
young Of a small moth or miller, meas
uring, when at rest, about three-fOurths
Of an inch from head to rear end of its
wings. The general color of its upper
surface is a golden yellow, inclining TO
bluff, with a faint olive tint exposed
near the outer or pOsterior margin,
when the wings are expanded. The
fore-wings are marked, each with two
prominet spots; the spots nearest the
tips being of a dark slate color, while
those nearest the head are clear white
and smaller. There are also to be seen,
on close looking, dim ~Hlac-colored lines
crossing here and there about the fore
wings.
The moth producing the cotton army
worm flies at night, and deposits its eggs
on the under side of the leaves in little
round patches, shaped somewhat like
the seed arrangement ola ~sunhower, and
of a deep green color. in two or three
days the worms hatch out-very small
OF course-and fall at once to feeding
upon the plant. About fifteen DAYS
thereafter finds them fully grown, when
they roll a leaftogether, web themselves
up in it, change into the ehrysalis state,
and in due time come forth a perfect
moth, as already described, ready for the
production Of a new brood. There are
three broods Of them during the season;
the first appearing about the lasto f May,
or the beginning Of June, and the second
in the latter part OF July, and the third
and worst Of all, not far from the mid
die of September. OF course a variation
in character Of season may bring about
some variation in time Of appearing.
How this insect passes the winter has
long been an unsettled point with many,
but not so with us. We have on several
occasions found the moth alive and well
in the winter, and consequently we are
convinced that it passes the winter
months III the perfect state.
There are several catterpillars, often
to be met with in the cotton-field, which,
in general appearance, very nearly re-
nor-1Ia thu onffnn army xUnrpn Moot
prominent among these may be reckOned
the grass worm LdphrygB1d bagiperda)
which, though comparatively harmless,
sometimes gets the not-thOroughly-
posted portion of our planters into an
almost panic by its early appearance in
large numbers. Such a state of affairs
generally hurts ones crop, as well as
ones feelings; hence we propose devot-
ing a brief space to a few simple rules,
by which the two insects may be readily
distinguished apart.