64 INANITION AND MALNUTRITION 



increases with each generation and may persist for a time even after abundant 

 refeeding. 



Coleoptera. — Great variations have been observed in the time required for 

 death from starvation in various beetles. Sorg (1805) noted six days for 

 Chrysomela populi, 13 days for Dermestes lardarius and Cerambyx fuliginator, 

 and 36 days for Lampyris noctiluca. Fingerhuth (cited by Lucas, 1826) found 

 two days in Coccionella 14-guttata, three days in Calandra granaria, five days 

 in Curculio scrophularia, six days in Melolontha horticola, nine days in Carabus 

 auratus and Cicindela campestris , 14 days in Geotrnpes Latr. (Scarabaeus 

 stercorarius) , 27 days in Lucanus cervus, and one month in Cetonia aurata. 



Wodsedalek ('17, '21) observed a remarkable endurance in the larvae of 

 Trogoderma tar sale kept without food at constant room temperature. Newly- 

 hatched specimens, about one millimeter in length, lived four months; older and 

 larger larvae lived progressively longer, the maximum for full-grown (8 mm. in 

 length) being over six years. The larvae gradually decreased in size during 

 inanition. They usually dwindled to the hatching size of one millimeter before 

 death, representing for the larger larvae a decrease to 3^oo 0I the original mass. 

 In the latter paper ('21) it is stated: "In another experiment groups of speci- 

 mens varying in size from 2-8 mm. in length are undergoing periods of feasting 

 and fasting. The larvae in various stages of starvation when given plenty of 

 food again begin to grow in size. For example, some of the large specimens are 

 on their way to their fourth "childhood" after having attained the maximum 

 larval size four times; while specimens originally 4 mm. in length are on their 

 way to their ninth "childhood" after reaching 4 mm. eight times." 



According to Chapman ('20), "Tribolium conjusum has its egg stage short- 

 ened from ten to five days by a rise from 24 to 34 , and it will develop one 

 generation after the other throughout the year. On the other hand, the life 

 cycle may be prolonged by a reduction of the amount of moisture and also 

 by a limitation of the quantity or quality of the food. Thus the length of 

 life and the number of broods may be altered by changing any one or all of 

 these three factors. A larva now under observation has had its life prolonged 

 from thirty to ninety days due to food conditions, and during this time it has 

 moulted twelve times rather than the normal six times." 



Biedermann ('98) found that certain intranuclear particles ("Kernkrys- 

 talloide" of Frenzel) in the midgut epithelial cells of the meal-worm, Tenebrio 

 molitor, become smaller and finally disappear during starvation. Similar 

 cytoplasmic granules, crystalline or irregular in form, decrease but never 

 disappear, even after prolonged starvation. Kriznecky ('14) and Szwajsowna 

 ('16) observed that in this species starved larvae undergo metamorphosis 

 earlier. 



Slowtzoff ('03) noted in May-beetles on absolute inanition a loss of about 

 24 per cent in body weight. The daily loss is greater at first (2.39 per cent), 

 then sinks to a minimum (0.66), with a premortal rise. Geotrupes stercoralis 

 loses 21.73 P er cen t in body weight during starvation of five to eleven days. 

 The studies of Fatta and Mundula ('08) and Manca and Fatta ('o3-'o4, '05) 

 were inaccessible. 



