44 B. C. ENTOMOLOGICAL PROCEEDINGS, 1912. 



The duration of life of the adult without food, moisture or exer- 

 cise, bred through from the nearly mature pupa, was determined by 

 experiments thus far carried on, to be on the average of 42 days. Adults, 

 fed but confined as used in the "egg deposition" tests, lived 67 days in 

 some cases. There seems no doubt, however, that some adults are 

 empowered by a greater degree of longevity under natural conditions 

 than the instances mentioned above, for we find adults carrying over 

 the winter on the surface of the ground, under shelter of rocks, boards 

 and in crevices. There can be no doubt about this, for the last pupa 

 was found in the ground in the early part of *July, so that if we only 

 allowed three months longevity per individual we would expect to find 

 no adults on the surface of the ground during winter. But we do ; 

 consequently 67 days duration of life becomes more of a minimum 

 standard than a maximum. The adult insect has a peculiar habit of 

 "playing possum" when disturbed, and it remains in this peculiar atti- 

 tude for some time after interference. It does its feeding at night and 

 is only active then. It remains dormant during the daytime, hidden in 

 crevices of the soil, under leaves and debris. I am inclined to think 

 that egg-laying is an entirely nocturnal affair. Chickens have been 

 shown on several occasions to be fond of the larvae, and, I have no 

 doubt, of the adults as well. 



Food Habits of Larva. 



This insect is a general feeder. During the past summer larvae 

 were taken in a clover and timothy grass sod, and larvae were bred 

 to the adult on the roots of timothy grass alone in the laboratory. 

 Larvae were also taken in the roots of the wild strawberry at sea level 

 and at the elevation of about 500 feet. There is evidence to show that 

 the larvae will feed, furthermore, and thrive on roots of the cultivated 

 peach tree in cleanly cultivated orchards. There is no direct evidence 

 as yet that potato plants in fields infested by this insect are attacked 

 by the larvae, although larvae have been taken in volunteer potato 

 plants in fields two years free from strawberry plants. The same has 

 occurred with rhubarb, and there is a current opinion prevailing in the 

 Lower Fraser plantations that crops following infected strawberries 

 suffer to some extent and may take several years to recover. Popular 

 opinion, on the other hand, claim that red or crimson clover is not 



is refers to the cultivated strawberry plantation. As a matter of fact, pupae were 

 I the ^ound in bush land and in uncultivated places two weeks later than this. 



