COPULATIOX AND OviPOSITIOX. 



On September 1 these observations were made : 



Pairs began mating at 6 :57 P. ]\I. At 7 :05 over a dozen pairs 

 were mating. At 7 :07 pairs were beginning to separate. At 7 :15 

 the majority had separated. At 7 :25 the last pair separated. 



And on the following evening, similar observations: First pair 

 united at 6:57: largest number copulating. 7;05: last pair separ- 

 ated, 7 :28. Total time consumed, 31 minutes. 



Exact records of six copulating pairs on the same night were 

 as follows: 



(1) United, 6:58; separated, 7:06: time spent, 8 minutes. 



(2) United, 6:59; separated, 7:08; time spent, 9 minutes. 

 (S) United, 7:01; separated, 7:10; time spent, 9 minutes. 



(4) United. 7:02; separated, 7:12; time spent, 10 minutes. 



(5) United, 7:01; separated, 7:11; time spent, 30 minutes. 



(6) United, 7:08; separated, 7:23; time spent, 15 minutes. 



Average length of time spent in copulation, 10 minutes. 



Those pairs on or near the ground copulated without taking Might. 

 In no case was a beetle seen to take flight after copulation. As with 

 the species of Phi/llopliaga, they immediately begin to feed after copu- 

 lation; and if resting on a leaf, the female usually feeds during 

 copulation, the male never. About 50 per cent of the beetles copu- 

 lated without first taking flight. 



The females, in the receptive mood, rest with the abdomen slightly 

 raised. and with the genitalia protruded in a conspicuous florescence, 

 which is pale yellow in color and fully three times as great in diam- 

 eter at the tip as at base. In this position they rest for ten minutes 

 or longer until a male appears. 



No females of this species were confined singly to secure eggs. 

 Females were, however, confined in numbers at different times in jars 

 with food to secure eggs. The average rate of egg laying computed 

 from tiie eggs thus secured was one egg in three days by each female. 

 At which rate, a female living two months would lay only twenty 

 eggs. This figure may not be accurate since, in confining numbers 

 of beetles together, some eggs are necessarily destroyed by the beetles 

 in boring into the soil. 



*f^ 



Insect and Fungus Parasites. 



No insect parasites have yet been discovered preying upon either 

 larva or adult of this May-beetle. 



The only stages of this ]\lay -beetle that became infected by the 



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