177 



LIFE-HISTORY. 



The Egg. — The egg of Anthonomus signatus is oval, and from about 

 one-fifth to one-quarter longer than wide. The surface is perfectly 

 smooth and highly polished. It is translucent, and the general color 

 is a pale yellow. In size the egg is rather large in proi)ortion to that 

 of the adult insect. Measurements of different eggs showed a varia- 

 tion of from .48-.58°"" in length to .37-.47™'" in breadth. 



Oviposition. — The greater part of two days was spent in an attempt 

 to observe the method of oviposition, to secure eggs for study, and to 

 ascertain the period of incubation. Although several females that 

 were almost constantly under observation repeatedly punctured the 

 buds, oviposition did not take place at this time. Subsequently, when 

 the imprisoned insects had ceased work, eggs were discovered in these 

 buds. Of the other buds that had been punctured in the breeding- 

 cages a few were opened and found to be emj^ty. By this time it was 

 too late to carry on this stage of the investigation, as the egg supply 

 of the insects in confinement was apparently exhausted. Although 

 the females did not oviposit while watched, it is presumed that some 

 of the punctures were made for the purpose of oviposition, and enough 

 was seen to demonstrate that this ojieration varies somewhat in method 

 and time consumed according to circumstances. 



The following notes, made ou specimens confined in the breeding 

 cages, may be of interest, although more extended observations are 

 necessary to be of substantial value. 



The first specimen — presumably female — consumed seven minutes in 

 perforating the buds, when it withdrew, as if fiightened. ^The second 

 specimen was a female, and was accompanied by the male. She had 

 just begun puncturing a fully-formed flower-bud when first seen. In two 

 minutes she had inserted her rostrum the full length, /. e., nearly to the 

 eyes, or about on a level with the joints of her antennie. She then 

 immediately withdrew, and after resting a miuute turned about and 

 backed straight toward the punctured spot, which was plaiidy visible. 

 Unfortunately at this juncture, although the back of the insect was 

 toward the observer, she evidently became very much alarmed — about 

 nothing as far as could be determined — the male evidently sharing in 

 her anxiety. After running about, rather excitedly it was thought, for 

 a few moments, she departed. During the entire time this female was 

 accompanied by the male, but copulation did not take place. 



Egg-laying on strawberry begins in this vicinity in April, probably 

 as soon as the staminate buds begin to mature, and continues through 

 May, or until the plants cease blooming. When the blackberries 

 bloom, which they do about four weeks later than the strawberry, the 

 latter is deserted and the blackberries attacked in turn. 



Method of puncturing the Bud. — One si^ecimen was watched while per- 

 forming this operation that faced the observer, a second specimen was 

 observed in an opposite direction, thus the method of work was noted. 



