Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-07-16
CUT WORM Moth
IN EVIDENCE
- "
Prof. q. B. Waldron Gives Warn.
ing That They Are Very
Numerous.

. ..E .' .|'. -- rs.
Isaac P. Baker of this city sent sam
pies Of . certain destructive moth t.
Prof. G. B. Waldron of the Expert
iment station at Fargo, with the re
quest for information regarding them,
and received the following reply:
"The moths which you sent in your
letter Of June 16 are the cut worm
moths. / am sending you herewith .
circular that will give you the life
history and habits Of this moth, also
suggestions for its determination,
The moths are unusually abundant
this year, and unless active measures
are taken we may expect considerable
destruction next season."
The circular follows:
cuT-WoRMs.
There has been considerable com
plant for several years past on the
part Of both farmers and gardeners
as to the damage done by the cut
worms.
The cut-worm is the larval form OF
some Of the many species Of, Owlet
moths. These moths are commonly
known under the name Of Moth Miller.
There are several species of OWlet
moth, the larvae of which are more
or less destructive. These different
species closely resemble each other
and as their life history Is very much
the same 1t is not of Importance to
give an accurate description of any
one of the species. The moths are Q.
q mottled gray or grayish brown col
OF. The under or hind wings are
lighter in color an dsomewhat thin
ner in texture than the upper or fore.
wings. The forewings are nearly an
inch in length 80 that the moth ex.
pands to q width Of about two inches
The moths first appear about mid
summer and are common from tina;
time until late in September. They
fly almost wholly at night and In the
day time conceal themselves about
the buildings. fences, trees, etc. They
are often seen IN the evening flying
about lamps when they can gain en-
trance to the house.
The moths begin laying their eggs
shortly after the middle of July and
continue this process until cold
weather In the fall. Each female
lays from two hundr d to five hund
red eggs. The eggs for the most part
are deposited on the stems afJgrass
es and weeds close to the ground. Or
this account meadows, lawns and
fields that have been allowedoto grow
up to grass and weeds during the
latter part Of the summer are places
where the cut-worms are,r usually
found. The eggs hatch within A. few
days when the larvae begin feeding
upon the roots Of the plants, At thi.
time Of the year the plant food is a
abundant that the wor- Of he, cut
worms Is unnoticed.'. As they feed
they increase in size, melting theiI
skin two or three times before winter
At the beginning of winter they arr
usually from three-fourths Of an incl
to an inch In length. As winter ap
breaches they bury themselves
short distance below the GROUND
where they hib. rnate. With the be
ginning Of spring they again become
active. This time feeding upon TIL,
young plants as they are transplant
ed in the garden or upon, the younl
corn, flax OF grain plants as they be
gin their growth. It is at this tim,
Of the year that their destructive
ness becomes more apparent as thei
food supply is limited to the youni
plants. Where these young plant,
are very numerous as in the grail
field 1t is only occasionally that thei
destructiveness 10 sufficient to great
ly damage the crop. though in Gel
tain seasons they have been know
to. take practically all Of a field o
wheat or flax. Their damage is mos
noticeable with crops like the corr
and garden crops where the individau
plants are further apart.
The larvae keep feeding during TIL
slring md early summer and ate
they have obtained their full sig