20 SPRAYING PEACHES, 
In all localities the majority of the larve emerged within three 
weeks after the eggs were laid, and, with one exception, emergence 
had practically ceased by the close of the fourth week. 
Time spent in the soil.—When full grown the larva deserts the fruit 
and burrows below the surface of the soul. Practically none of the 
larve go deeper than 3 inches and the great majority penetrate not 
more than 2 inches. A small cell is made where the pupal stage is 
passed and where transformation to the adult or beetle occurs. 
Some days are spent in the soil by the larva before changing to the 
pupa, and the newly formed adult may not emerge for several days 
or even weeks, especially if the ground be dry. The effect of a 
shower, however, is to bring the new-generation beetles out in 
numbers. 
A large number of observations have also been made on the length 
of time spent in the soil by different individuals, including a total 
of several thousand and from about the same localities as already 
mentioned. All of these observations go to show that comparatively 
few insects complete their underground transformations in less than 
three weeks from the time of entering the soil as larve. In from 
four to five weeks, however, the great majority of the beetles are out 
and by the close of the sixth week emergence has practically ceased. 
Time required for transformation from egg to adult.—The average 
time spent in the fruit for the numerous localities investigated 
proved to be 19.48 days, and the average time spent in the ground 
was found to be 30.89 days, giving an average life-cycle period for 
the insect of 50.27 days. 
Complete life-cycle observations were also made on a total of 597 
individuals from many parts of the country, which gave a final average 
for the period per individual of 50.71 days, differing only a fraction 
of a day from the time determined in an essentially different manner. 
Approximately 50 days would therefore appear to be the average 
life-cycle period for the plum curculio for the country as a whole. 
The range though, will vary considerably and as actually determined 
in the case of the individual records was from 37 to 58.45 days. 
Habits of beetles from emergence until hibernation.—After emer- 
gence, beetles of the new generation feed upon various fruits and 
plants until fall, when they enter hibernation quarters, appearing 
the following spring, as already stated. While there is some evidence 
to indicate that there may be a small second generation in the South, 
this will be comparatively insignificant and for practical purposes the 
insect produces but one generation annually. The beetles which 
develop one summer live over the following winter, ovipositing during 
the spring and summer, and gradually die off, until by early fall 
practically all of them have disappeared. The life of the more hardy 
beetles is thus seen to be some 12 or 14 months 
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