The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-10-03

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The Cotton Caterpillar. sei-
There are m many ~ caterpillars and many army
worms, according to the way we usually speak
of them, but the insect upon which we now
propose to treat is that which devours the foi-
are Of the cotton plant, and is known to nata-
rafists as Anomis 1ylinG. In some localities we
call IL the cotton army worm, and IN others the
cotton caterpillar latter seems to be com
ing into the most universal use. 1t was irsti
scientifically described by the great American
entonlologist, Thomas Say, in 1871. 1t has
been known to us since the days when we first
formed the acquaintance of the cotton plant,
and it seems to be an insect peculiar to rAmerl-
According to DIR. D. L. .Phares, OF Wood
Vile, Miss. 1t destroyed over.two hundred tons
of cotton in the Bahamas as long ago as 1888 );
while in Georgia it completely ruined the crop
Of I7s3. Alter that date it made sad havoc in
1900. 1904, 1925, and 1926. Since then it has
put in regular annual appearance in greater
or-lesSer force, in some parts of the cotton
States.G.It always seems to be worse after
severe winter which is explained as follows:
'.The moth producing. the caterpillar lives
through the winter, in the perfect state. If
the winter is severe it lies torpid and requires
no food, but if open it remains active, and as
thereiis no supply of Its natural food ct hand,
~ starves tn death % io rr';l rr',i gu la;ijS =
1.-The moth or parent of the cotton caterpillar
flies only at night, When it rests it sits head
downward on some vertical surface, with the
inner edge of its wings laid closely against the
sides of dss body; throwing it into a kind of
triangular shape, or rather into 1.-THE shape of a.
'snoothine iron, the head representing the
sharp or iront end. While in this condition it
measures about three: :fourths Of, an inch in
length from head to the rear of wings. The
general color of its upper surface is q: golden
yellow, inclining to buf, with faint olive tint
exposed near the outer or posteriori margin of
the wings when expanded. The fore wings are
marked with two prominent spots on each the
spots nearest the tips being of a dark slate
color and about the size ct 8 small mustard
seed...wbile those nearest the head are clear
white. and smaller than the first named. There
arc also to be seen, on close looking, dim, lilac
colored lines crossing here and there over the
fore or front wings.
AS already stated, this moth lives through
the winter-early in summer it deposits its
eggs on the under side of the cotton leaf in
little round patches not unlike green rasp-
berry in size, color and appearance. In a few
DAYS the worms hatch out-and fall at once to
feeding on the plant. They are OF green
color, but as they progress in size they become
sreenish that is, they take upon themselves
pale stripes running longitudinaliY and not
Enfrequently dotted with black. The back is a
hue darker than the general shade of the
worm; but really there is no standard by
which, to describe the color of the insect other
than to call it greenish, owing to the fact that
it varies so much in its coloring. We have
often found them covered with purplish
when fully grown the cotton caterpillar
measures about one inch in length, and is rath-
-erslender in shape. There are several other
caterpillars that resemble it very closely an the
grass worm, the bolt worm or corn worm, as it
Is sometimes called-that which you find cut
ting the corn while in roasting ear-but 1t has
two peculiarities which enable US to distinguish
L from them very readily One ,of there CON
sistsii pair Of detective feet near the middle
eff the insect which force it to bend up lbs body
in the act of moving about on the plan'of the
span or measuring worm, while the other
worms resembling it glide smoothly along by
the action of their feet The other peculiarly
Is in spiteful leap or spring to some distance
when disturbed. Most of the caterpillars coil
I'D and remain motionfess when you disturb
them; but none leap of like the cotton worm.
It takes about fifteen or eighteen days after
hatching to mature the cotton caterpillar. The
insect then ceases to eat, folds leaf together,
webs itself up inside the fold, and changes into
the chrysalis state. from which, in due time
depending upon the character of the weather.
It comes forth perfect moth, as already de-
scribed, and soon lays the foundation for new
generation of caterpillars. How many gener-
ations there are in the course OF season ig not
clearly known, some entomologists, claim two
and Others three. 1t is our opinion that this
also depends upon the season-that there are
inst as many generations as the courae of na-
ture and the length of the season will permit.
OF course we need not 60 to the trouble OF
explaining what is meant by the term moth.
A moth is simply night butterfly, generally
speaking, for most of them fly in the night.
We sometimes call them mlliers, and when
they come into our houses and pitck at our
lamlog we call them "candle-hies," So the
moth of the cotton caterpillar is yellowish
miller or p yellowish "candle-fy," just rs we
Dlease to style it. Some of our exchanges have
n rood deal to say about the "Ay of the cotton
caterpillar" which sounds a little awkward,
for in science fly is creature with only two
wings, as a house fly, or horse fly whereas
the cotton moth has four wings, and liz there
fore no fly. -,
We have bat little to offer in the way of
remedies with which to combat this pest of the
planter Hand-picking the plants is sure but
hardly practical in all cases. Fires built about
the field at night would be likely to DO some
good in Che way of destroying the moth, as it
has natural disposition to fly into them. We
bno,,, of coyarol narrons vyhn are now eXDeri-
mentiug with dry Paris green sprinkled upon
the plants, after having been mixed with fifteen
or twenty parts of dry ashes or Stacked lime,
and we hope to hear good report from them.
-lNo6ike Register.