);iiuiarv — Ffliruurv 1SS4, j 



J'SrCHE. 



V1\S 



siderable distances from the plants on 

 ^\ liich they had been feeding. 



Many hnndreds of these larvae were 

 nneartiied in November, but not a pupa 

 was found, nor a single adult. Two of 

 the latter were obtained, however, in 

 strawberry fields, in December, showing 

 that a sprinkling of them hibernate as 

 imagos. That it is only a sprinkling 

 was clear, not only from the great mmi- 

 liers of matine larvae of this species in 

 the ground at the time, but likewise 

 from the fact that adults of Paria aier- 

 rima were then collected by the linn- 

 ilred, although the strawberry roots had 

 been much less seriously attacked by that 

 species than lj\ Scclodoiita. Earh' in 

 the following ^\pril the larvae were still 

 secure in their subterranean retreats, no 

 pupae vet appearing. On i6 .\|)iil. 

 two adults were taken, but these were 

 the only ones captured during several 

 tiavs of careful and active field work. 



A number of hibernating larvae were 

 placed in boxes of earth at this time, for 

 the purpose of determining the period 

 of their transf )rmations. On 9 May 

 they were found still in their winter 

 condition, but on 20 May pupation was 

 well imder way ; and about half those 

 in the held were also now in the pupa 

 stage. A thorough search yielded no 

 adults, and no young larvae. 



On 7 June, a single adult emerged 

 from those under observation, and the 

 next day three more appeared. The 

 day following, the earth was examined 

 carefull}', and fifteen adults were found, 

 all but two still in their cells. With 

 these were three larvae (one of which 

 was dead) and a single pupa. On 15 



Jime, man_y adults were found in the 

 ground, in the fields, with lar\ae and 

 pupae, but no adults could be got by 

 sweeping the strawberry vines, and 

 carefid search of previously infested 

 fields, made late in Jnl\' and earh' in 

 August, yielded but a single imago ot 

 this species. 



Adults emerging in the breeding cages 

 were observed to feed freely upon the 

 leaves of the strawberry, making small, 

 round holes though the leaf, of about 

 the diameter of their own bodies. 



The above data enable irs to say defin- 

 itely that this insect is single-brooded, 

 like its congeners; that it hibernates as 

 a fidl-grown larva, in oval cells in the 

 earth, a few beetles of the preceding- 

 brood likewise sometimes surviving the 

 winter : that tlu change to pupa occurs 

 in May ; and that the adults appear above 

 ground in Jinie. In July, doubtless, 

 the eggs are laid, probalilv in the groimd, 

 the young lar\ae attacking the roots ol 

 the strawberr\ in that month and in 

 August. 



Comparison of Life- Histories. 



It will now be i;;teresting and profit- 

 able to bring together, side by side, the 

 life- histories of these three companion 

 species. 



We have, in these root-\\orms, three 

 related species, attacking the same part 

 of the same plant in precisely the same 

 way. at the same stage in their develop- 

 ment ; and strictly dependent upon this 

 plant (as far as is known) for their con- 

 tinued existence. They are, moreover, 

 all native to the region in which they 

 now occur, and have probably ted upon 



