• IOWA ACADEMY OP SCIENCES. 209 



found that numerous white larvee and pupte about one-eighth 

 inch long are present and working in the woody tissue of the 

 plant. They make small tunnels, packing the borings around 

 them much as does the potato-stalk- weevil. They pupate in 

 these tunnels and emerge as a small black beetle. 



The adult when first formed is white and takes on the black 

 color gradually, beginning on the head and thorax and then 

 extending backward to the scutellum and base of elytra and 

 then gradually over the whole body. 



The adults are quite active but drop to the ground as soon 

 as disturbed and remain very quiet for some time. 



Specimens of the adults kept on plants under observation in 

 the laboratory worked in the young tender tissues, either eat- 

 ing into the terminal portions or into the stems at the axils of 

 the leaves, almost burying themselves and finally causing the 

 small leaf or branch to break down, as do the larger branches. 

 They were not confined entirely to the parts just mentioned but 

 would eat into the little leaflets as they were expanding, thus 

 preventing their complete opening. 



One individual was found boring into the end of a broken 

 stem making its way into the pith and almost disappearing in 

 a short time. It remained in that position for some time. Think- 

 ing that it might be a female and that the eggs were being 

 deposited, the cavity was examined at the end of four or five 

 days, but no eggs were found. This adult was placed on a grow- 

 ing plant and soon began feeding in the young tissues as stated 

 above. On one small plant in the laboratory the young leaves 

 were so badly eaten into that the plant died in a short time. 



One specimen was taken while collecting in the woods August 

 31st. So the species undoubtedly infests other plants besides 

 the one recorded above. 



Nothing can be stated concerning oviposition and the early 

 larval stages. As stated above, numerous fully grown larvse 

 and pupce were found in the root-stock and base of the larger 

 branches September 1st. A few fully colored adults were found 

 a few days later. One root-stock was isolated during the sec- 

 ond week in September and adults kept gradually issuing until 

 about the middle of October. From this one root- stock as many 

 as twelve to fifteen specimens issued besides the numerous larvee 

 and pupae that were removed for the purpose of examination. 



Since no eggs were deposited by the specimens kept under 

 observation and adults were still very active after the plants 



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