.1. E. V70DSEDALEK 



insect becomes quite indifferent, and finally decidedly positive 

 u to intense light. The males, too, during the last days of 

 their lives become indifferent to light and often even strongly 

 positive in their phototaxis. 



Although ordinarily the adults remain till death occurs in 

 the cabinets where they had developed, not infrequently do 

 we find some of them on the windows in the rooms where they 

 make their abode. A number of such specimens were at differ- 

 ent times collected and dissected, but in no cases were there 

 any eggs found within the bodies of the females. This also 

 indicates that they lay their eggs before they become posi- 

 tively phototactic and desert their places of concealment, and 

 apparently their destruction at this time is futile. 



I'lloiOTAXIS IN THE CARPET BEETLE OR "BUFFALO MOTH" 

 (ANTHRENUS SCROPHULARIAE), AND ITS ECONOMIC 



IMPORTANCE 



In view of the results obtained through the observations 

 and experiments on light reactions in T. tarsale, an idea sug- 

 gested itself that the light reactions in other Dermestidae might 

 be worked out to some economic advantage. The popular 

 belief in the case of the common carpet beetles is that the pests 

 metamorphose in the houses and immediately go outside to 

 breed, where they are often very abundant on flowers, and 

 that after this is accomplished the females return to the houses 

 to lay their eggs. Careful observations and experimental work 

 with this species, however, revealed facts contrary to the com- 

 mon belief. 



In the spring of 191 1 about six hundred adult specimens 

 were collected from the blossoms of Spiraea on the University 

 of Wisconsin campus. More than a hundred of the female 

 individuals were killed and dissected, but no- eggs w r ere found 

 within their bodies. The remaining insects were kept in the 

 laboratory with an ample supply of food with the view of ob- 

 taining some eggs. The jars containing the beetles were care- 

 fully examined but no eggs were secured. After the specimens 

 had all died, the jars were put in a convenient place with the 

 idea thai possibly some eggs had escaped the writer's notice 

 and that in time some young larvae would probably appear; 

 but not a single individual w T as obtained. 



