12 



FARMEES BULLETII^ 848. 



quently has been found in okra blooms, but repeated observations 

 and experiments bave failed to show that it places its eggs in the 

 pods or can develop in them. When confined in bottles, the adult 

 weevil will feed on various substances, such as apples or bananas, 

 but tliis is only under the stress of starvation. 



The chief activity of the boll weevil is from 9 o'clock in the morning 

 to 5 in the afternoon. During this period it has been found in experi- 

 ments performed m Louisiana that 65 per cent of the eggs are de- 

 posited. Eleven per cent of the eggs are deposited early in the 

 mornmg; that is, from 5 o'clock to 9. There is some activity at 



night. Six per cent of 

 the eggs were found to 

 have been deposited be- 

 tween 8 at night and 5 

 o'clock in the mornmg. 



Unhke some related in- 

 sects, the boll weevil is 

 not attracted to light. 

 The fact that somewhat 

 similar species do come 

 to lights in great numbers 

 at times has frequently 

 caused the belief that the 

 pest could be controlled 

 by the use of trap lights. 

 An interestmg habit of 

 the boll weevil is to feign 

 death; that is, to ''play 

 possum " or " sull, ' ' as it is 

 popularly called. T\nien 

 disturbed, the msects gen- 

 erally contract then- limbs 

 and drop to the gromid. 

 This habit is not equally strong in all mdividuals. It has been 

 taken into consideration in plans of control, as will be described 

 beyond. 



The age to which weevils live varies under dijEferent conditions. 

 During the winter the longevity is much greater than in the simimer. 

 During the summer season the majority of weevils do not live longer 

 than 50 days. Diuing the cooler part of the year many of them 

 live as long as six months. The longest lived weevil on record lived 

 from December 10 to the follomng October, a period of about 11 

 months. Undoubtedly such prolonged life is exceptional in the 

 cases of the usual form of the weevil. The Arizona weevil, however, 

 has been known to survive f;)r more than a year. 



Fig. 5.— Cotton square showing larva of boll weevil in position 



Natui-al size. 



