351 



The beetles make their appearance simultaneously with the maturiug- 

 of the buds of the horse uettle, in this vicinity during the latter days- 

 of May, and continue on the plants until quite late in the season. The 

 plants are in blossom from early June till September. 



Ovipositiou begins with the development of the bud, and evidently 

 extends over a much longer period than in the case of signatus. The 

 bud is punctured usually at about the same point for oviposition, near 

 the center, just above the calyx, but in feeding the insect is not fastidi- 

 ous, and if the bud be only slightly opened, it crawls in and feasts 

 upon the pollen and i)etals. 



The eggs are inserted in or between the anthers, on which the young 

 larvjc feed. They undergo all their transformations within the bud. 

 The larva and pupa are almost exact counterparts of those of siynatus, 

 but are of larger size and of uniform whitish color. Full grown speci- 

 mens of the larva vary in length from about 3 to S.S™'", dorsal measure- 

 j.ent; greatest width, near the middle of the body, O.O to 0.7™"\ 



As with A. signatus, only Ji single individual normally develops in a 

 bud, but occasionally two, and, in one instance, three beetles bred from 

 a single bud. In such cases each individual had formed for itself of 

 its own excrement a separate chamber in which it iTuderwent its trans- 

 formations. 



A single larva will usually devour the entire interior of the bud 

 which it inhabits. They often gnaw holes through the enveloping^ 

 corolla so that their bodies may be seen as they work within. If 

 exposed to dampness they always cut through the corolla and force 

 their excrement through the orifice thus made, A. signatus has the 

 same habit. The imago usually issues from an irregular hole made in 

 the corolla near the calyx at the stem end of the body. In one instance 

 a beetle bred from a bud that had never been severed. 



The duration of the periods of the preparatory stages are nearly a» 

 in signatus. The dates noted are as follows: Eggs, observed June 5 to 

 July 4; larvte, full grown June 26 to 29; pupte, June 29 to July 18; 

 new brood of adults, July 2 to August 2. The pupa state was observed 

 to last four and live days in different individuals, as follows: June 28 

 to July 2; June 30 to July 3; July 1 to July 5. 



Unlike the strawberry weevil this species appears to avoid the sun, 

 passing the day in partial concealment and inactivity. I have never 

 witnessed oviposition or copulation and hence believe the species noc- 

 turnal. I am also inclined to believe that it is single-brooded, but 

 there is more chance of double broodedness than in signatus as the adults 

 may be found abroad during a much longer period. Individuals of the 

 new brood kept in confinement fed freely, but no eggs could be found 

 in the buds punctured. 



Three parasitic Hymenoptera were reared with this insect, two chal- 

 cidids which Mr. Ashmead has identified as CatoJaccus anthonomi Ashm. 

 anAEntedon UtJiocolletidis Ashni., and a braconid doubtfully determined 



