THE PECAN NUT CASE-BEARER 7 



OVIPOSITION AND LENGTH OF INCUBATION PERIOD 



It was very difficult to get moths to oviposit in confinement. 

 From material under observation it was determined that a period 

 of from 2 to 7 days elapsed from the time of emergence to the time 

 of first oviposition. The moths confined in cages usually deposited 

 all eggs within a period of 3 days. In confinement moths deposited 

 eggs indiscriminately upon the nuts, leaf petioles, foliage, and occa- 

 sionally on the sides of the glass breeding jars. It seems that under 

 natural conditions egg deposition invariably takes place on the 

 nuts at the calyx or on the side immediately under the calyx lobes. 



As is shown in Table 3, the average length of the period of incu- 

 bation of 56 first-brood eggs was found to be 9.48 days, the maximum 

 being 10 and the minimum 7. 



Table 3. 



-Length of incubation period of first-brood eggs of the pecan nut case- 

 bearer, Monticello, Fla., 1917 



Number 

 of eggs 

 from 

 which 

 larvae 



Date of 

 oviposition 



Date of 

 hatching 



Length of 



incubation 



period 



emerged 









29 



26 



1 



May 11-. 

 13... 

 15... 



May 21... 

 22... 

 22..- 



Days 

 10 

 9 

 7 



The length of the incubation period for second-brood eggs is given 

 in Table 4. 



Table 4. — Length of incubation period of second-brood eggs of the pecan nut case- 

 bearer, Monticello, Fla., 1916 and 1917 



1916 



A 1917 



Number 

 of eggs 

 from 

 which 

 larvae 



emerged 



Date of 

 oviposition 



Date of 

 hatching 



Length 

 of incu- 

 bation 

 period 



Number 

 of eggs 

 from 

 which 

 larvee 



emerged 



Date of 



oviposition 



Date of 

 hatching 



Length 

 of incu- 

 bation 

 period 



11 



June 26 



do.. 



June 27 



June 28 



July 3 



Julyl 



July2 



Days 

 5 

 6 

 6 

 6 

 5 

 7 

 4 

 5 

 6 



41 



14 



6 



45 



12 



2 



3 



13 



Julyl 



July 7 



Days 



6 



3 



do 



July 5 



July 8.. 



7 



4 



July 3 



July 10 



July 11 



July 12 



do 



5 



1 



July 4 



do 



do 



July 6 



6 



8 



July 8 



July 10 



July 18 



July 19 



July 20 



7 



1 



do 



July 14 



do... 



do 



6 



8 

 9 



do 



July 7 



July 13 



do.. 



7 

 6 



2 











5.09 





6.17 

















Observations on a limited number of third-brood eggs hatching in 

 August showed that the period of incubation ranged from 4 to 6 

 days, the average being 4.95 days. 



