256 Heport of the Entomologists of the 



egg-laying begins about July 20, but dissections show that the 

 deposition of eggs could begin the latter part of June and that it 

 ceases entirely by the last of July. Hence, the egg-laying period 

 of the beetles, in this section, extends over about one month. It 

 is not known for how long a period an individual beetle continues 

 to deposit eggs, but this period surely varies in different individ- 

 uals. Specimens in confinement and excited, deposited a large 

 number of eggs in a few hours ; many of which were in clusters. 

 In all field observations the eggs have been found deposited singly. 



Some writers have stated that the eggs are deposited in the soil 

 and on the stems near the roots. In only one instance have I 

 been able to find an egg near the roots ; this was found in a cavity 

 in the stem where the beetle had been feeding. I have frequently 

 found the eggs caught in the hairs of the leaves at the growing 

 tips of the vines. This, together with the fact that very few 

 larvffi compared w4th the number of beetles which appear in the 

 fall, are found in the stems, especially of muskmelons; and con- 

 sidering that the larvae have been found feeding on the rind of the 

 fruits of muskmelons, indicates that the eggs are usually dropped 

 wherever the beetle happens to be feeding. Hence, they are just 

 as liable to be dropped on the ground as on the surface of a leaf. 

 Probably the eggs are laid during the middle of the day, and, as 

 the beetles go to the underside of the leaves and even crawl under 

 the vines to find shade, the eggs are generally deposited in these 

 places. 



In 1864, Dr. Fitch^ stated that the eggs are dropped on the 

 ground. A number of other writers state that the eggs are prob- 

 ably deposited below the surface of the ground on the roots of 

 the vines. If these writers are correct in their assumption, the 

 beetles vary considerably in their habits of depositing eggs. The 

 length of time required for the egg to hatch is not known. 



Larvae. — According to Dr. Henry Shimer,^ the larva or grub 



5 Tenth Report on Noxious and Other Insects: 439. 

 « Prairie Farmer. August 12, 1866. 



