Sept.-Dec, I9::i.] WeISS-DiCKERSOX : ^TlLKWEED INSECTS. 125 



June 19 and contimied in evidence until tlic first part of September. 

 The majority of them a])peared to copulate durinc: July and the first 

 half of August. 



When the beetles first appear, they feed upon tlic youn;? leaves. 

 Later the flower buds appear and these are eaten and lastly, the 

 flowers are devoured. As a result, the plants become ragged and 

 streaked with the milky white juice, which runs from the punctures 

 and hardens. Asclcf^ins syriaca seems to be the favorite milkweed, 

 although beetles were observed feeding to a certain extent on the 

 leaves and flowers of Ascicpias pulchra and l>eetles were collected 

 from the flowers of Accratcs riridiflora. a plant resembling and 

 related to the milkweeds. Our efforts to secure eggs of this species 

 resulted in failure. Numerous beetles were gathered and placed in a 

 roomy outdoor cage together with growing milkweeds and while 

 they fed and copulated extensively, they refused to deposit eggs. 

 However, through the kindness of Dr. F. H. Chittenden, we secured 

 several eggs which had been deposited in confinement on leaves, by 

 beetles collected by Mrs. D. H. Blake at Riverdale, Md., during the 

 last of July. Females collected on July 18 and dissected were found 

 to contain from 45 to 55 fully developed, elongate, whitish eggs. It 

 is not known just where the eggs are laid in the field. Various parts 

 of the plants were examined, with negative results. It seems prob- 

 able, however, that they might be deposited at the base of the plant 

 close to the main stem, in view of the fact that many larvie are found 

 in the lower stem and main root not far from the top of the soil. 



The first larvse were found on July 31 at Red Bank, N. J., on the 

 main stem below the ground surface and on the larger roots. In 

 each case they were found in shallow channels covered over more or 

 less with soil, which stuck to the injured portions, probably because 

 of the sticky nature of the ])lant juice. Later in the season, it was 

 possible to find larger larvrc and by the middle of October, they 

 varied from one half inch in length to api)arently full grown. At this 

 time, several large larv.-e were found in the soil close to the lower 

 main stem and among the small roots. Other large ones were found 

 in shallow channels in the main lower stem. Still others were located 

 under the bark of the main lower stem and out of sight, while several 

 small ones were dug from the lower end of the main stem. These 

 small ones were well inside the stem in irregular, longitudinal chan- 



