Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1901-06-07
The Starr Valley Cuiw"rms.

The INDEPENDENT has received the
following interesting communication
from Prof. S. Is. nnten, relative to
the cutwnrms ilHi are doing SD much
damage i'll Starr Valley:
The c"tw IT NJ viii Ia have done sn
much dana rr III eastern Nevada are
not emit ely a new aud unheurd ~
pest In previ ms years the sc insecie
nave dome con, iderahIe ia mage ~
>pne parts 1T Oregon and Washing.
ton nnd they have also been reporte |
from Col 'rAdo. In our " state
they must have been p esent for sew.
er.l year; but, ~ they ARE not con.
Hpicu"ns Insects and have form, rly
done very liIIle harm they attracted
scarcely any attention.
This is natural enough, for in the
day time The worms Ii hidden III the
soil OF ~ the lead leaves aud rubbish
around tl,- alfalfa roots. coming ont
at night tO feed ON the young mud
tender leaves. This habit ~ hiding
all day protects them against the at.
tnoks Ut n host 81 natural enemies
>urh rs the small black wasps which
hunt them II mud Singing them
m" in~sensIbility. lay tn, 10 away in
holes in the ground M food for young
wasps. The cut worms are further
prote ted by their resen. blance to the
ground on which they rest. They arc
,bnut an inch luDg plump and cylin.
drical. The head is light brown.
smooth and lining. Tho rest ~ the
body In dirt c'lOr-li. hit grey MAJ ked
with oh, cure brown dots. Like most
Ut the smooth. bodied caterpillnrs
tlity are unprovided with ANY weap.
nns NJ offence or defense The bird,
therefore. especially the black Dir O
are very fond 81 them md destroy
them in considerable numbers.
When full grown the caicrpillnrs
blrruw into the soil where each
makes IA liIlle o. ,ug cuse ~ q ind
grains loosely Ii ,rd aud tell tn.
getlIer with silHrn threads. In thin
rtse 1t cliHnges 10 u smooth brown
chrysalis about three iourths of an
inch long pointed at one end and
blunt ut the other. After about Two
weeks the moth ~wriLglea ont OF the
CbrysHlis aud cocoon and Gomez IN
the rurface OF the ground with damn
sott wings useless Tor flirht until
'iri'd ~ the air. At night the motI,
takes hlrht and IL attrarted nc waion.
ally to II lamp or candle and then wa
SEQ that it is y very ordinary Iuokmp
moth with grey and black front wings
ana hind wings pcnrly w!nto or grey
lIis completes the scriee ~ VI aye,
tile worm Ia the parent m ,,b
which liyos II few lnya then Insa
Hrent number Of eggs from which
tninrc cutwOrms arc Matched. DIV
ny Ia tile habits NJ tho worn md th,.
nature 81 tile crop thu insect in an
unusually hnrd one Ia cuul,ut. I,
naturally . Its worst nj Try carly
~ tile Schr when the nj alta ia ju,,
starting 10y eating the buas md
young leaves before the plan, Inns
any u ne lo made start. u 10 OF
c"ur+e imp"ssihIr ~ sprny rcono ~.
cHlly II crop IFS nlfIia with n oS tho
iiHu u insect possnn /; first. 10 muse Of
The Rroit cost involved, aud then TO
cau'e these sprays are us pp,s onuns
to cai'lo ind horscs Nv they ato Ia
msecis. The remedy thun mum,
come either from nniure or IN som.
way from methods Of cuIuyntu,, %,
~lrriGniing tile iirlis Nature so tor
lihs hut little Ia offer in the way Of
m Elective remedy. Tho birds do. |
"troY very few worms in co,uparisnn
wIdr Tho Whole nunbpt; md | i,.ve !
I'm yet found lit 10 H. ndi,yt. III, I
presence Of any important, ,nsoc,