MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1916. 



LIFE HISTORY. 



As already indicated the eggs of this species are believed t( 

 pass the winter in the meadows where the nymphs are observec 

 in summer and probably they are found in the stems of theii 

 various food plants or possibly in dead stems or leaves at the 

 surface of the ground. 



The larvae hatch in early summer, the earliest record which 

 we have for the season of 1916, being June 13. The nymphs 

 were mostly well along at the time of my first field observations 

 in June and I conclude that the rate of growth is rather rapid 

 for the latter part of June as during this time and early July 

 but few less mature than the final instar were to be found. On 

 July loth these last instar individuals were still plenty on but- 

 tercup and a recently emerged adult was observed on dandelion. 

 From the middle of July only adults were observed but these 

 were evidently still feeding and it is certain that mating and 

 egg development are carried along slowly. Mating was 

 observed July 28th, and at this time adults of both sexes were 

 abundant in clover in a meadow. One mated individual, dis- 

 sected showed no evidence of egg development beyond the most 

 immature formation and no indication of shell. By the middle 

 of August egg development has proceeded so that occasional 

 eggs are found with well formed shells but usually only a few 

 mature eggs along with many imperfect and undeveloped ova 

 in the oviducts. Figure 46 shows this condition as noted in 

 a specimen dissected in August. The large black bodies are 

 the eggs with shells and the faint ones those still unformed. 

 The large spermatheca may also be observed above the ovi- 

 positor. No spermatozoa could be detected in the spermatheca 

 but from its size it would seem quite certain that they must be 

 retained for some time and the eggs are fertilized as they mature 

 through a long period possibly several weeks during late sum- 

 mer and early autumn. 



No egg deposition was observed before my leaving Maine 

 the last of August and the only eggs seen were those dissected 

 from the females during August. 



