1911] Hypera mid Phytonomus in America 409' 



The following account is condensed from Folsom's most 

 excellent paper on this subject, supplemented by observations 

 I have made the past fall, winter and spring on the species in 

 captivity and on the grounds of the Bussey Institution and 

 other places around Boston. I have succeeded in forcing the 

 larvae through to pupation by the middle of March. The 

 beetles of the year lay eggs throughout the fall from September 

 until winter forces them into hibernation. 



Folsom states that he rarely found the weevils in early 

 spring, those found being "either dead or in the last stages of 

 decrepitude and evidently incapable of doing anything toward 

 the propagation of their kind." 



Eggs are laid in old clover stems, on the outside of green 

 stems, leaf petioles and among young leaves, or on the ground 

 amongst the debris at the base of the plant. In captivity the 

 beetles freely deposited their eggs in the stems of growing 

 alfalfa and clover. As related by R. L. Webster the adults stand 

 head downward boring the hole in which to deposit the eggs 

 with their beak. 



Apparently the majority of the eggs hatch in the fall, the 

 young larvae wintering over in various sizes ranging from those 

 newly hatched of 1.5 mm. length to specimens 5 to 7 mm. long 

 and certainly three-quarters grown. During the winter they 

 may be found inside hollow stems, among the young leaves, or 

 among the dried leaves about the base of the plants. On 

 warm winter days they come out to feed on the young leaves, I 

 have found them feeding in the bright sunshine on warm days 

 in January and February; Glascow also reported finding 

 larva? feeding at this time of year (Folsom). 



In early spring the overwintering eggs begin to hatch and 

 the larvae that have been hibernating come out on the plants 

 and feed. The very young larva? eat small holes in the leaves 

 while the older ones cut pieces out of the edge or even cut off 

 young leaves. The damage to clover is sometimes quite severe 

 and alfalfa plants show the riddling still plainer. 



The beetles feed on the leaves and stems, both eating off the 

 parenchyma and making feeding punctures in the stems. 



Folsom gives the length of the egg-period in as 23 to 45 

 days. One lot of 54 eggs laid by one beetle in the insect - 

 ary at Forest Hills were divided, 27 kept inside hatched in 18 

 days, while those placed outside hatched with an average of 

 31 days. 



