474 



Bruchus chine nsis in Hawaii. 



This species has been recorded elsewhere as breeding in 

 seeds of Phaseolus radiatiis {=(irticulatus) , Phaseolus mun- 

 goy P. vulgaris, Cajanus indicus, Pisum sativum, Ervum lens, 

 Cicer arietinum, Dolichos lablab. Glycine liispida, Vigna chi- 

 nensis, and indefinitely from beans. It is common here, attack- 

 ing pigeon peas in the field, the eggs being laid either npon the 

 unbroken pod or if the pod has cracked open, as is common 

 when the ripe pods have remained for some time on the- 

 bnshes, npon the peas. When the eggs have been laid npon the 

 pod and adnlts have bred ont from the peas, they mate and 

 oviposit before cutting their way out of the pod. Oviposition 

 takes place within a few hours after emergence and mating, 

 often within a few minutes. 



Experimentally I have been able to secure oviposition 

 upon 40 species of leguminous seeds and adults have been 

 bred from Phaseolus articulatus, P. aureus, Vigna chinensis, 

 Cajanus hidicus, Glycine hispida, Cicer arietinum, Vicia faba, 

 and Pisum sativum. Repeated experiments have failed to 

 secure breeding in connnon beans, lima beans, tepary beans, 



Bruchus chinensis has the shortest life cycle of any of the 

 species studied, adults often emerging during the winter sea- 

 son here in 29 days from oviposition. 



In storage B. chinensis does not seem to be able to hold its 

 own in competition with B. quadrimacidatus though why this 

 should be true is not apparent since in the only experiment 

 made when adsuki beans were placed with large numbers of 

 adults of both species B. cliinensis emerged in large numbers 

 from the infested beans in due time. 



Bruch us cjuadriniaculatus. 



This species has been met with here only as a stored bean 

 and pea weevil, in no case so far has it been found depositing 

 its eggs upon the pods of its host-plants in the field. In one 

 instance the pods of pigeon peas were picked from the inime- 



