CACTUS-FEEDING INSECTS AND MITES 131 



C. vittiger; in the field north of Uvalde they were feeding actively and 

 mating during a period of warm weather in the latter part of January. 



The eggs are deposited in smaller batches and are more scattered 

 than are those of C. tabulata. Moreover, fecundity appears to be lower. 

 In Australian records, the maximum number of eggs deposited by an 

 individual female was 86, in comparison with 233 eggs laid by one 

 tabulata female. One C. canyona that survived for 343 days deposited 320 

 eggs in 1 1 batches over a period of 10 months, oviposition taking place 

 in late summer, January to March, and in the following early summer, 

 October and November. The incubation period in Australia decreased 

 from 41 days in August and September to 10 days in January. 



Hamlin (1924) states that the larval period was completed in 63 

 days. In Australia it has been ascertained that the development of C. 

 canyona is slower than that of C. tabulata. During September to January 

 C. tabulata larvae reached the adult stage in 59-90 days, in comparison 

 with 76-103 days for C. canyona; the duration of the various instars 

 is shown below: 



Instar C. tabulata C. canyona 



1st 8-17 12-20 



2nd 7-15 11-15 



3rd 11-16 13-19 



4th 13-18 17-23 



5th 20-24 23-26 



Chelinidea hunteri Hamlin 



Very little is known concerning this insect. Its distribution appears 

 to be confined to southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, and its host 

 plants seem to be restricted to Cylindropuntias. The original description 

 was based on a few adults collected on a Cylindropuntia of the 

 0. imbricata group at Hermosillo, Sonora, in August 1922. Hunter, Pratt, 

 and Mitchell (1912) recorded adults taken on 0. arbuscula, versicolor, 

 SLTid fulgida at Tucson, Arizona, in May. In July 1924 adults were 

 found sparsely on 0. fulgida and mamillata in the Tucson district, while 

 in June 1928 the species was observed in the foothill valleys of the 

 Santa Rita Mountains near Tucson. 



Chelinidea vittiger Uhler 



The range of this insect practically coincides with the distribution 

 of prickly pears in the United States and extends into the northern 

 section of Mexico. In addition to areas investigated by the Common- 

 wealth Prickly Pear Board, it has been recorded from Virginia, North 



