A Laboratory Method of Mass Rearing the Black Cutworm, Agrotis ypsilon (Rott.), for Insecticide Tests

Abstract

A number of techniques have been developed for rearing cutworms of economic importance. Most of those that were developed primarily for lifehistory studies (Crumb, 1929; Hocking, 1952; King and Atkinson, 1927; Satterthwait, 1933; Snyder, 1954) are unsatisfactory for mass rearing. Mass rearing techniques have been developed for several cutworms of economic importance (Jacobson and Blakeley, 1957; Swingle et al., 1941; Waters, 1937; and Wylie and Palm, 1940). However, the black cutworm, Agrotis ypsilon (Rott.), is difficult to rear because of cannibalism.