202 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



perform tlie act of oviposition. The time required will depend largely 

 on the accessibility of the host cocoon, thickness of the cocoon and the 

 ease with which the host larva is subdued. 



Whether or not the host larva is killed or merely paralyzed by the 

 ovipositor of the parasite we were unable to determine. A codling 

 moth larva having been stung remains in a soft flaccid condition until 

 the parasite larva has developed, when there remains but little of the 

 host. Host larvge were observed to be in the same condition as when 

 first stung, except for a slight discoloration of the integument for a 

 period of thirty days. Acting on the theory that the stung larvae were 

 still alive, an experiment was performed in which several unstung 

 codling moth larvge were killed in boiling water, at the same time several 

 stung larvae were boiled. Twelve hours after the removal from the 

 liquid the two lots were examined. In both cases the bodies were hard 

 and crumbled up when handled. This would seem to indicate that 

 either the stung larvae had been paralyzed by the ovipositor of the Cal- 

 liephialtes and had been killed by the immersion in the boiling water, or 

 that the effect of the hot water on the living and dead tissues of the two 

 lots was the same. To eliminate the last possible explanation, two sets 

 of codling moth larva, one set living and active, the other stung by the 

 parasite, were placed in a strong cyanide tube for twenty-four hours. 

 The remains of the unstung larvae dried up within twelve hours after 

 the removal from the cyanide tube, while the remains of the stung 

 larvae were still in the characteristic soft flaccid condition. The second 

 experiment tends to indicate that the codling moth larvae were killed 

 and injected with some element which has the effect of preserving the 

 body contents in a semifluid state. 



In this connection it might be interesting to note that one codling 

 moth larva was observed in which the ovipositor of the parasite had 

 passed through the integument and was seen underneath. The parasite 

 deposited its egg -near the host. The larva was taken from the cocoon 

 and examined under the microscope. There was a considerable twitch- 

 ing noticeable in the palpi, but otherwise the larva had the appearance 

 of the dead. Four days later the host larva was examined again and 

 the twitching of the palpi was still noticeable. The hole made by the 

 ovipositor of Calliephialtes in the integument of the host was now sur- 

 rounded by the blackened area characteristic of stung larvae. The body 

 of the host had not changed its position. Later the larva was examined 

 again but the twitching of the palpi was not observed. More observa- 

 tions will be necessary to prove whether or not the larvfe are dead or 

 only paralyzed. 



Calliephialtes sp. refuse to oviposit below a temperature of 56° F., 

 and were inactive at 50° F. 



Longevity of Adults. The length of life of the male CaUiepJiialtcs 

 is considerably less than that of the female, which lives, approximately, 

 two months. One female was observed to live for ninety days._ 



Number of Broods. Calliephialtes sp. has at Sacramento, California, 

 from five to seven broods each year, depending upon the abundance of 

 the codling moth larva?. The broods greatly overlap, eggs deposited by 

 one brood of females may develop into the adult sta'ge before the death 

 of the mother parasite, thereby increasing the complexity of determining 

 the number of broods unless each parasite is separated. 



