Show I PRETTY INSECTS COST Butterfly Does Immense Damage Ito to toi Alfalfa Fields of Different i Western States I STRIP LEAVES FROM PLANTS Chickens Turkeys and Many Many Birds Destroy De stroy Worms Worms During Feeding Stage Stage Bollworm Devours Both Both Worms and Pupa Prepared Sy by y the United States Department Department Depart Depart- ment meat of ot Agriculture What a n beautiful beautiful creature exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed ex ex- ex- ex claimed a farm visitor indicating Indicating- a gorgeous gorgeous yellow butterfly which had alighted upon a n nearby by shrub an and now raised and lowered his edged black wings in slow graceful palpitations The insect appeared to be the very ery spirit of the hot bot summer day Ills lIs colors colors colors col col- ors were the colors an and shades of brilliant brilliant bril bril- sunshine and the d deepest black blackest black est shadow set In a a. a delightful contrast con contrast con nn and its will was the will of the breeze that stirred the broad alfalfa meadows beyond the tho garden where host and guest had retired to enjoy the shade Appreciation Dampened Beautiful yes Beautiful yes responded the I rancher but my appreciation is somewhat somewhat some some- what dampened by the knowledge that the pretty creature costs the alfalfa growers of Arizona and California about a n year ear What this butterfly costs in other states states Ian Kan Kansas sas Oklahoma Texas and others others- Im I'm unable to say sar but It must be an nn Immense sum Rather a high price to pay for beauty isn't it We could endow a good many art galleries with that sum we could beautify our schools and hang in every classroom room if there were enough h hot of ot them to go around We could bring thousands of the city children out into the fresh air and sunshine if we had the pr price ce of ot that yellow and his mate How flow does he accomplish all this asked the interested listener Its a n harsh indictment to lay against a creature creature creature crea crea- ture so 80 apparently lacking in malice Tell rell me about him where do does s' s she he come from how does oes he live H nn and what are his peculiarities The rancher rose stepped through the hedge hege and came back with a handful handful hand hand- ful tul of alfalfa freshly pulled from the nearby field You can find out all you wish to know from Farmers Farmers' Bulletin 1094 just published by the United States r I R. R I y I I I r s Alfalfa Caterpillar Female Caterpillar Female in Adult or Butterfly Stage department of f agriculture but I think we have his life history and a n catalogue catalogue cata cata- logue of his crimes In this this bunch of ot herbage Heres the egg egg he continued Indicating indicating indicating in In- a n tiny brownish elongated object upon the upper side of an nn alfalfa alfalfa al nl- al- al falfa leaf the first stage and Is interesting only be because ause the female butterfly lays las from to COO of them in tn her lifetime It has been estimated that if all the eggs egg'S of a single female butterfly hatched hatched and and there were no losses Josses In the progeny progeny or In their eggs or young young this this first I butterfly would be grandmother to insects before the tho cn end of the summer Fortunately for us an nn insect parasite parasite parasite para para- site destroys a n good many of the eggs ll Heres Here's res re's a ruined egg Its egg its it's black you see Instead of brown the parasite has hns been there Million Dollar Damage Next Is the larva or worm stage and it Is this form that the alfalfa caterpillar does docs the million-dollar million damage A number of these worms will strip most of the leaves from a n crop In a very short time Here is a n small worm evidently just hatched and here on this bu bud Is a larger one Note the green color color of of Its body and the white stripe down own each side Heis He HeIs Heis is nearly an nn inch lon long nn and has has made mae madeA A Parasite of the Alfalfa Caterpillar his growth by gorging upon the tender leaves an and terminal buds of my al nl- nl falfa Wherever th there re is an unusually unusual unusual- I ly large larg-c number of these worms they will eat ent the stems too but their favorite favorite favorite fa fa- food is s the tender portion of the plant While in this stage c the larva Is victim victim victim vic vic- I tim of many conditions and anti is preyed upon by many nany creatures A fly lays Its eggs upon the worm onn These hatch into grubs w which penetrate and kill 1111 their host Moisture and a n hot heavy leavy atmosphere atmosphere atmos atmos- phere will induce the spread of a disease disease dis dis- ease ense among the worms See here are worms just afflicted with the disease note note the lighter color of their skins nn and their sluggish movements In a n afew afew few hours they'll die and decompose Into a black decaying mass You can cnn understand why alfalfa hay loses Its feeding value if it is heavily Impregnated Impregnated impregnated with these corpses the corpses the animals animals ani ani- mals dont don't like the flavor YouVe you heard of the so s so Injurious to corn nn and cotton He lie comes omes to our aid ald In the fight ht against the alfalfa caterpillar and by one of those queer natural compensations does docs us a favor by devouring both I worms and pupa Odd isn't It Lay Eggs All Summer Unless the worm is destroyed the butterfly you have admired emerges from the pupa in n a few days and begins begins begins be be- gins to lay eggs to establish a n new ew cycle This goes on all summer Control is accomplished by cutting alfalfa close and clean clenn We clear out our fence corners corners and ditches an and cooperate cooperate cooperate co co- co- co operate with our neighbors In clearing their land This leaves no shelter for tor forthe forthe the caterpillar to live in from one al alfalfa alfalfa alfalfa al- al falfa crop to the next and the few which do o survive find foo food mighty scarce and many perish of starvation Disking with a n harrow over the meadows after a n crop has been moved destroys destros many of the insects in the egg egg- worm vorm or pupa stage Besides killing the Insects which are are preparing to ravage the next crop the disking pr process tess as ns every everyone one knows Is a n mighty good thing for the alfalfa We also use a n brush drag well weighted and run it It over OTer the alfalfa meadows after the disking is done The drag gets into the hollows and crevices where the harrow has not touched touche and crushes the insect In whatever stage It finds fins him Even If It the first firt cut has hns been ruined by the pest these methods of irrigation atlon and cultivation will Insure the reduction of ot the tho caterpillar In time timeto to save the next cutting from his at nt- tacks These methods are recommended by bythe bythe bythe the department of gr and we hope to prevent most of the annual loss Joss caused by the activities of ot yonder but but- |