79 



in feeding. Early in the season, when the leaves are still tender, the 

 beetle eats small oblong- holes in the leaves, but later in the season it 

 usually leaves the lower half intact and the upper portion finely skele- 

 tonized. At any rate, the daniag-e done by the beetles, even when they 

 are very numerous, is trilling when compared with that inflicted l)v the 

 larva. The beetle is a slow walker and apparently dislikes to move 

 about without cogent reason, but if disturbed it takes wing rapidly 

 and is capable of sustained flight for long distances. Daring rainy 

 weather, at night time, and during the act of oviposition the beetle 

 is to be met with on the underside of the leaves. 



Hihernat'ton. — There can be no doubt that the perfect beetle alone 

 hibernates. It seeks winter quarters rather early in the season, some 

 time in September. During mild winter days a specimen may occa- 

 sionalh^ be found under accumulated leaves at or near the base of 

 locust trees, but even for an experienced entomologist it is not an easy 

 task to find them in their sheltered retreats. 



Mode of oclposltioti. — Dr. Harris's description of the eggs of Hispini 

 (Treatise, etc. , Flint ed. , p. 120) docs not apply to this locust beetle, and 

 appears to have been made from dried cabinet specimens. The fact is 

 that in our species the eggs are not laid on the upper side of the leaf but 

 always on the underside, and, further, that the}- are not laid singly liut 

 in masses, each composed of from three to five eggs, which are glued 

 together by a sticky substance and partially covered with an excremen- 

 titious secretion. We succeeded in July in partialh^ observing the act 

 of oviposition, which may be described as follows: One Qgg was already 

 deposited, representing a somewhat flattened, short, oval object of 

 yellowish-pink color fastened to the leaf b}" its flat side. The female 

 beetle was quieth' resting with the forepart of her bod}' much erected 

 and the last abdominal joints covering the egg, while the tip of the elytra 

 touched the surface of the leaf bej^ond the Qgg. After a while the tip 

 of the abdomen was bent toward the egg and a yellowish-pink semifluid 

 matter was excreted; then an (^gg appeared at the genital opening, but 

 was several times retracted and again protruded, when finally, with a 

 sudden efiort, the beetle moved its abdomen a little backward and 

 deposited the Q.gg so that with its end it rested upon the leaf and with 

 its greater portion over the first &gg. Then the beetle rested for about 

 two minutes, when the same process was repeated. The act of oviposi- 

 tion itself takes only a fraction of a second. When the last egg has been 

 laid the beetle makes a sudden movement forward, sweeping with the 

 tip of the abdomen the upper side of the Qgg mass and discharging at 

 the same time a large quantit}^ of fluid fecal matter of dirty-3^ellow 

 color, which soon hardens and darkens. 



From this mode of oviposition the form of an egg mass can be readily 

 understood. Since the second and the following eggs each overlap 

 the preceding Q,gg^ but at the same time touch with one end the surface 



