The Crioceres 



where there would be nothing to fear from 

 the Fly's eggs. This is what the Twelve- 

 spotted Crioceris does, occupying the same 

 quarters as the Field Crioceris, from whom 

 she differs in size, being rather larger, and 

 still more in her costume, which is rusty red 

 all over, with twelve black spots distributed 

 symmetrically on the wing-cases. 



Her eggs, which are a deep olive-green 

 and cylindrical, pointed at one pole and 

 squared off at the other, closely resemble 

 those of the Field Crioceris and, like these, 

 usually stand up on the supporting surface, 

 to which they are fastened by the square end. 

 It would be easy to confuse the two if we 

 had not the position which they occupy to 

 guide us. The Field Crioceris fastens her 

 eggs to the leaves and the thin sprays; the 

 other plants them exclusively on the still 

 green fruit of the asparagus, globules the 

 size of a pea. 



The grubs have to open a tiny passage 

 for themselves and to make their own way 

 into the fruit, of which they eat the pulp. 

 Each globule harbours one larva, no more, 

 or the ration would be insufficient. Often, 

 however, I see two, three or four eggs on 

 the same fruit. The first grub hatched is 

 425 



