38 



eggs are placed in masses, while H. H. Brehme of New- 

 ark, N. J., states "I have found them deposited singly 

 and do not think it possible that they would be laid 

 otherwise for it would be impossible for a number of 

 larvce to live in a single reed." He also says "the female 

 generally lays her eggs in the middle of the reed be- 

 tween the long leaves. 



According to a great number of observations which 

 I have made at different times, the eggs of this species 

 are always deposited in masses of var3'ing numbers, on 

 the under side and near the tops of the more erect 

 growing leaves of the food plants. The most complete 

 masses might be likened to that of some spiders found 

 commonly under boards and rubish. 



A single female is capable of producing several 

 hundred eggs. One in a breeding cage deposited nearly 

 five hundred in a single week. Ot these from 60 to 80 

 were deposited during each of the first four and seventh 

 nights, and 140 during each of the second and third 

 nights. On the fifth and sixth nights none were de- 

 posited. Eggs were first deposited by the female in six 

 days after she left the pupa case and they hatched in 

 fifteen days after they were deposited. 



When the eggs hatch the young larvae instead of 

 eating through the covering of the mass of eggs above, 

 bore beneath this covering and feed upon the soft parts 

 within the leaf, naturally working toward the stem. 

 At first the whole brood may be found working to- 

 gether, but when they are eight or ten days old the 

 larv£e distribute themselves so that from this on it is 

 not common to find more than one in each food plant, 

 although two or more have been observed in a single 

 Typha. As the food plants of this species are suba- 

 quatic the larvae often become submerged by a sudden 

 rise of water. Under such circumstances they become 

 inactive and remain so until the water subsides. On 

 March first I took larvae that had been under ice and 

 w^ater since January ninth. They were seemingly dead 



