Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-07-24
THE ARMY WORM.
TIT AND HOW TO FIGHT 1T,

reports from several portions of the
State have been received at the station
concerning the ravages of an insect
which proves upon investigation to he
the army worm. On this account 1t has
been thought best to issue through the
newspapers of the state some account OF
the pest with suggestions a to remedies.
The army worm is the immature state
of moth often seen flying ABOUT In the
evening or night. This moth is usually
from one and one-haf to two inches
across the spread wings. The general
color of the front wings is delicate
gray brown. infinitely dotted with black,
and there are two rather large spots of
reddish tint on each front wing. The
hind wings are thin and of grayish
tint. These moths lay their eggs, some
of them in the fall, more in the SPRING
on the inside of folded leaves OF grasses
or between the sheath and stalk. on old
hay or straw stacked in fields, on old
cornstalks, or, if such places are lacking,
on growing grain or grass. When fhey
first hatch, the worms are light colored
and very small and for some time after
wards they are very inconspicuous and
not likely to be noticed. This is es-
pecially true because they usually live
on sod where they are concealed by the
thick grass. Here they may remain
wear after year unknown because I'M
seen. but if a season is especially favor
able for their development they may in
crease very rapidly and creep from the
grass to cultivated fields where they are
more noticeable. Hence they seem to
appear suddenly every few years, al
though they have been living in the To-
calitv during the whole time. Dry sea-
sons are especially favorable to the in
crease of this insect and they are often
unusually abundant in a wet season i'm
mediately following a dry one.
The full grown worm is from one and
one.quarter to one and one-half inches
long The surface of the body is smooth
as ordinarily seen, though a magnifying
glass reveals scattered hairs. The up
per part of the body is marked by
rather complicated series of lines and
the whole surface seen with magnify
ing glass looks speckled.
Along the back is rather wide band
of dull black, shading on each side to
grayish tint. Then, in succession, there
is, on each side. narrow black line, a
very narrow white line, wider yellow
ish stripe. a narrow white line. dusky,
or blackish, stripe, a narrow white line,
reddish yellow band, white line, and,
finally, the greenish undersurface. This
is the color of a full grown specimen
which is be fore me as | write. but the
distlnctness and shading of the lines and
stripes vary in different individuals. es-
pecially if they are of different ages.
The head is glossy. of light brown
color, marked on the sides with a sort of
net work of darker brown. From the
upper edge two black lines pass down
wards diverging to each side of the
mouth On the under side near the
mouth are six true legs. while farther
back are eight thicker false legs and at
the very end of the body another pair of
the same sort. When disturbed the
worms usually coil up on the side and
b lie motioress Tor some time, but they
may throw themselves about very vigor-
Ously. In appearance and in many of
their habits these worms are much like
some of the cut worms for which they
may be readily mistaken. After reach
ing their full growth the worms 90 into
the ground and change to pupH.
There is probably but one annual
brood in Vermont and it is not likely
that this insect will ever make great
ravages during successive years, that is
year of depreciation is almost certain
to be followed by a greater or less mum
Der of years during which the worm,
are scarcely seen. This is because Of
their numerous natural enemies. of un
favorable conditions of climate and o.
other conditions, which usually proven
their great increase. They prefer tn,
night or cloudy days for feeding. es
pecially in the younger stages, though
they do eat to some extent during III,
day time and have seen them actively
at work in bright sunshine at midday
Their food usually consists of grasse
and grains. Timothy, blue grass, whea
and oats seem to be preferred; corn i
well liked, while rye, barley and mile
are sometimes, but not commonly, eaten
They do not like clover and attack
only when better food is wanting; no
do they eat the head of grain, preferrinl
the leaves. When very numerous an,
hard pressed by hunger they will ca
anything, even each other, but their OF
binary food is that just named.
Remedies it is not necessar