People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1900-02-01
The Fall Army Worm.
(LAPHYGMA FRAGwERDA.l

(LAPHYGMA FRAGIpERDA.)
The following will be of especial i'll
terest to Simmer county people in view
Of the fact that the pest described is the
one that damaged the wheat last fall:
During the spring, summerand fall of
1858 small caterpillar did considerable
damage to crops in paris Of Illinois and
Missouri. It was different from the
ordinary cutwouns that were known at
that time. Specimens were sent at that
time to Prof. c. Y. Riley, Of St. louis,
for Identification and thought by him to
be new to science. After breeding from
the perfect moths, and named by him
Prodenia Acetumalis. 1t was afterwards
found ont that the moth had been de-
scribed under the name Friegpcrda, but
that previous to 1868 the larva or cater
pillar was unknown. Prof. Riley pub
lished description of the caterpillar
and gave it the common name, Fall
Army Worm.
"There are at at least three broods of
the caterpillars in a season, the first do
ing considerable damage to corn, the
next brood even boring into the ears
of green corn, and sharing with the corn
worm in destroying the ears of corn. 1t
was found at that time in the fall the
worm took to the wheat fields and laid
large fields bale. 1t was this phase of its
work that caused the most serious ap-
prehension of what damage might be
feared from the work of this insect. 1t
was found, however, that the fields that
were the worst cnt off that fall produced
good crops of grain the following year.
This year, is the first time the writer
has known of the fall army worms do.
ing so very much damage since 1865,
though some of the insects are to be
found every year.
I'm August the lawns of Chicago were
noticed to be turning brown and driving
up rather suddenly, and the query was.
what is the cause of it? An examination
showed that small dark caterpillar was
cutting the grass off close to the ground,
the worm as it grows older being striped,
little like an ordinary army worm.
From the fact that a few weeks previous
large numbers Of these moths had been
seen i'll that region, local etomologist
surmised that It was the Fall Army
Worm, which upon a careful examina-
ton proved TO be correct. A little later
specimens of the full grown caterpillar
were received by tie writer from Iohn-
son county that had been playing the roll
OF a corn insect. Within the last few
days, or during the last week of October,
1t has been reported from several local..
ties as eating wheat.
Such is some of the history of this
insect and its work. 1t is not true
army worm, which feeds on the grass
plants only, such as wheat grass, ETC.,
but rather belongs to the cut worm group
OF night flying moths. In habits it is a
cut worm, generally eating off the plants
at the surface of TIE ground, and Ne I
Climbing the plant to eat the leaves only.
1t Is cut worm also in the habit of eat,
ing almost any kind of vegetation, but like
some of the cut WORMS, When small veg,
citation is not at hand it will climb a
plant, as boring into and eating into ear.
-of corn.
The main question with us now Is,
how much damage is this insect doing "a
the wheat fields If the observations Of
1869 on its WORK in the fall of 1873 are
correct, it is doing very little damage.
In working at the surface Of the ground
Il cut the blades of while the heart of
the plant, the young stalk from which
the new blades must come, is several
inches below the surface. 1t will only
be few days before the worms will get
their growth and pupati, when the plant
comes up again and grows unmolested,
at least by the fall army worm. The
writer has several times said to farmers
do not sow the fields over again. but
watch it and see what the result will be
of the work done by the caterpillars. It
is possible that 10 special remedy will be
necessary for the depredations of this
insect. G. H FprNcu
Carbondale, H., Oct. IS, 1899.