296 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. X, 



posterior lateral dot, produced 4 beetles, 1 hiwieralis and 3 

 coloradensis; 1 of the latter with white area and 2 with posterio- 

 lateral dot. This dot seems in this case to be a fluctuating 

 variation, for the appearance of the humeralis in the progeny- 

 proves the parents both to have been coloradensis hybrids with 

 humeralis; in other words, each presented a single strain of 

 coloradensis and neither one seems to be a Mendelian dominant. 

 Evidently from these last two cases, the annectans mother of all 

 these must have been an annectnas humeralis hybrid and must 

 have been mated with several males very nearly at the same 

 time. These males must have born annectans, melanopleura, 

 bipunctaia and coloradensis. 



After 9 days the above female laid another patch of eggs 

 from which 11 beetles were reared, all annectans, which seems 

 to signify that the annectans male was the last one which mated 

 with the female and the most of the eggs in the first patch had 

 already been fertilized by the former males. The second patch, 

 however, was fertilized entirely by the annectans male, the 

 fresher spermatozoa evidently taking precedence over the 

 older ones. 



This female was then mated with a bi punctata male and the 

 next egg patch, laid within 3 or 4 days produced in the first 

 generation 10 annectans and 2 bipunctata with small spots, 

 in the second generation from the bipunctata beetles there were 

 reared 1 normal bipunctata, 3 with fairly small spots and one 

 annectans. 



A fourth patch of eggs laid 6 days later was reared and 9. 

 beetles matured, all bipunctata with small spots. These beetles 

 emerged during the latter part of June, but up to the loth of 

 August, when the experiment was discontinued, they had neither 

 laid any eggs nor been seen in copulation. They were, however, 

 seemingly in perfectly healthy condition and probably would 

 have hibernated and laid in the spring, or they might have 

 begun breeding September 1st. The latter supposition is 

 based on the theory that the inactivity may have been due to 

 the period of cessation during July and August mentioned by 

 D. E. Fink in his bulletin 1915 of the Virginia Experiment 

 Station. A period of great difficulty in rearing Coccinellids 

 at this season of the year has been noted in Colorado by the 

 writer, but has been heretofore attributed rather unsatis- 

 factorily to various other causes. 



