4 FARMERS’ BULLETIN 649, 
% 
According to Wildermuth: 
* * * the female deposits a large number of whitish eggs promiscuously on the 
leaves and ground or even on the side ofthe cage when confined. In the field eggs 
were found adhering to the lower leaves of both red clover and alfalfa. Within less 
than a day these eggs change in color to a shining black. It is very probable, however, 
that in the natural state the eggs are usually deposited at or near the surface of the 
eround, The egg period is 13 days in duration. The larvee immediately after hatch- 
ing go down into the ground. Great trouble was experienced in getting eggs to hatch 
in rearing cages, and it seems from this that there may possibly be some other as yet 
unknown condition entering into egg deposition in the field. 
The adult beetle endeavors to escape injury or capture by feigning death. Ifa 
clover plant upon which this beetle is resting be touched the beetle drops to the 
eround and lies there an inactive and almost invisible object. It is only when in 
motion that one is able to see it readily, since its color harmonizes so well with its 
surroundings. 
The larval period varies from 17 to 21 days, the latter being apparently nearer the 
normal, 
The pupal stage is passed in an earthen cell, which is oval in outline, about three- 
sixteenths of an inch (5 mm.) long, and half as large in diameter. The time required 
for the pupal stage is from 8 to 10 day s, easily determined independently of the other 
two stages by collecting mature larvee in the field and rearing them to adults. 
The larval period was determined by getting the combined length of the egg, larval, 
and pupal periods and subtracting from these the number of days required for the egg 
and pupal stages. This method was followed because of the difficulty experienced in 
getting the newly hatched larve to live after being transferred from the vial in which 
the eggs were hatched to a clover plant on which they could feed, and also because 
of the fact that the more fully developed larve, when disturbed to any extent, 
nearly always died. Thus, to avoid this, a record was kept of the day of the egg 
deposition in a certain cage, and then the beetles were removed and the cage leit 
undisturbed but watched carefully until adults appeared. The time required for 
this was from 38 to 43 days, thus making from 17 to 21 days for the larval stage. 
Tt will therefore be seen that there is but one generation of this 
beetle annually in the North, but the fact that adults readily deposit 
eggs at any time after October or early November if placed in a 
warm room would indicate that there might be more than one gen- 
eration in the warmer portions of the country, although of course this 
does not necessarily follow. 
FEEDING HABITS. 
The feeding habits are, so far as can be determined, almost exactly 
the same on alfalfa as upon clover. So far as the beetles are concerned 
the amount of food consumed is almost a negligible quantity, and itis, 
only where they gather upon clover plants along roadsides that this. 
sort of injury’ Neecke conspicuous. In confinement Mr. Parker 
found that the beetles preferred alfalfa leaves to those of red clover, 
eating them more readily. So far as it has been possible to deter- 
mine, the larve have precisely the same feeding habits on alfalfa that 
they have upon clover. Therefore the statements of Mr. Wilder- 
muth which follow are as applicable to the one plant as to the other, 
and they are quoted herein in full. 
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