Vol. 1] Clausen. — Life -Histories of California CoecineUidae. 279 

 Adult Feeding Eecords — OUa abdomiiialis Say — {Continued) 



Average 30.9 31.4 30.7 31.0 28.9 27.4 27.0 35.6 30.6 



011a oculata Fabr. 



This species is found generally distributed throughout the 

 state and is particularly abundant in the southern section. Its 

 constant association with 0. aljdominalis gives considerable 

 strength to the belief that it is not a true species, but merely a 

 varietal form of 0. ahdominalis Say. Other notes given in refer- 

 ence to 0. ahdominalis may be considered as applying to this 

 form as well. A rather curious circumstance is that in a number 

 of individuals of this species, at the time of emergence from the 

 pupal skins, the elytra, which have a black ground color with an 

 irregular dark red spot near the center, show faintly the mark- 

 ings of 0. ahdominalis, the ground-color of which is gray, with 

 from six to nine small black spots on each wing-cover. These, 

 however, are soon obscured by the rapidly developing black 

 ground-color as it eventually exists. 



Oviposition. — Complete records for the entire period of egg- 

 laying were secured from nine individuals. The time from mat- 

 ing to oviposition varied from eight to thirteen days and aver- 

 aged 10.7 days. The number of eggs deposited averaged 347, the 

 greatest number secured from any species. The maximum num- 

 ber was 489 and the minimum 171 eggs. The highest daily record 

 was 22, and the average for all individuals for the entire period 

 was 9.8 eggs per day. 



The period of oviposition in the nine females under observa- 

 tion ranged from 17 to 46 days, with an average of 35. During 

 these periods the proportion of days upon which eggs were de- 



