72 



Averages : Egg, six days. Larva, nearly twenty-two days [i. e., first 

 stage, five and a half days; second stage, two and tbree-fifths days; 

 third stage, five and one-sixth days ; fourth stage, seven and five-ninths 

 days). Pupa, seven and three-fourths days. Egg to beetle, a little over 

 thirty-five days. 



Three of the beetles which issued from the pupa May 4 were kept in 

 a breeding cage in a sunny window of my office and supplied with an 

 abundance of food ; one of them died on the 20th of May, another on 

 the 26th, and the third died on the otli of June. It is probable, there- 

 fore, that in the open air in summer the beetles live about four weeks 

 after issuing from the pupa, so that their existence from the time the 

 egg is laid until the adult which originated from it dies a natural death 

 covers a period of about two mouths. During the colder portion of the 

 year, however, this period is doubtless extended considerably beyond 

 this limit, as will be seen by reference to the above table; for instance, 

 the larva that pupated December 5 was changed to a beetle thirteen 

 days later, whereas the one that pupated May 31 produced the beetle 

 five days later. 



HABITS AND NATURAL HISTORY. 



The eggs are usually thrust beneath the Iceryas, but are sometimes 

 attached to the cottony egg-masses ; they are placed on one of their 

 sides, sometimes singly but usually iu pairs or in groups of three or 

 more. In hatching, the egg-shell is rent nearly the entire length along 

 its upper side, and after the young larva has issued the shell becomes 

 of a whitish color, and retains nearly its original form. The recently 

 laid egg is more slender and of a deeper red color than the Q,gg of the 

 leery a. 



The young larviB usually burrow into the egg-masses from below and 

 feed upon the eggs; later they attack the Iceryas of all sizes, usually 

 making the attack on the under side of the abdomen. The young larva 

 is easily distinguished from the young Iceryas by lacking the long black 

 antennae so conspicuous in the latter. When about to cast its skin the 

 larva attaches the posterior end of its body to some object, and at the 

 proper moment breaks away the whole anterior end of the old skin and 

 crawls out of the opening thus made. 



When about to pupate the larva attaches the posterior end of its body 

 to the bark or leaf of the tree and suspends itself head downward. It 

 remains in this position about three days, when the skin along its back 

 splits open, exposing a portion of the pupa to view. When the beetle 

 is fully formed the old pupa-skin partially breaks away, showing the 

 beetle to be of a pale reddish color. It remains iu this situation about 

 two days longer, when the beetle issues clad in its normal colors of black 

 and red, as shown in the figure (Fig. 10). Coition occurs shortly after- 

 ward. In fact I have frequently seen the males standing by and w ait- 



