Moisture or dryness does not under certain limits appear to affect 

 their hibernation. The period of hibernation can also be very pro- 

 tracted given the right conditions. Thus hibernating larvae were 

 found in seeds taken from some Indian cotton imported by an Alex- 

 andria firm in January 1914, when the cotton was re-ginned and the 

 seeds examined in December 1915. These larvae must have belonged 

 to the last generation before the cotton was picked in India in Sep- 

 tember 1913, and they must have been considerably over two years 

 old. They were found in Desi cotton seed. 



Similarly in cotton seed from the 1914 crop, one thousand 

 damaged seeds were examined in February 1916, and three living 

 Gdechia larvae were found. These larvae must consequently be 

 at least sixteen months old. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



1. The larvae of Gdechia, gossypietta maturing after the first 

 picking intercalate a period of suspended or lessened activity, or 

 hibernation before pupating. This period normally extends to the 

 next spring or summer, but can last at least two years. 



2. The larvae reaching maturity before or at the time of the first 

 picking mostly pupate and emerge as moths during the next few 

 months, but before the next crop season. 



3. There are two broods of larvae to be found during the winter, 

 a hibernating and a winter- feeding brood; these are the most fertile 

 source for re-establishing the pest in the next season. 



4. The moths emerging in autumn and winter are to a great 

 extent lost for the maintenance of the species, and will be still less 

 important if destruction of bolls on cotton sticks stored for fuel or 

 lying on the ground is properly carried out. 



5. During the winter hibernating larvae are to be found in cotton 

 seed and seed cotton, and are very much more numerous in second 

 picking than in first picking material. Still greater numbers remain 

 in bolls left on cotton sticks, unless destroyed there, or in bolls left 

 in the fields to rot. At the time of sowing, such bolls still contain 

 enormous numbers of living Gdechia larvae. Burial under growing 

 irrigated crops does not affect the vitality of these larvae. 



