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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 358 



Contribution from tlie Bureau of Entomology 

 L. O. HOWARD, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



April 12, 1916 



STUDIES OF THE 



MEXICAN COTTON BOLL WEEVIL IN 



THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 



By 



R. W. HOWE, Entomological Assistant, Southern Field Crop 

 Insect Investigations 



CONTENTS 



Introduction 1 



Longevityof Adult Weevils 3 



Food Plants of the Weevil 8 



Feeding Habits on Cotton Leaves and 



Terminals 11 



Sex of Adults 12 



Period From Emergence to Oviposition . 12 

 Period From First Feeding on Squares 



to Oviposition 13 



Fecundity 13 



Oviposition Period 23 



Rate of Oviposition ........ 24 



Page 



Maximum Number of Eggs Per Day . . 24 

 Period from Deposition of Last Egg to 



Death 24 



Activity of Females In Different Parts 



of the Day 25 



Cessation of Oviposition by Hibernated 



Weevils 26 



Total Developmental Period 26 



Effect of Size of Square on Weevil De- 

 velopment ...... 30 



Generations 30 



Summary ........... 31 



WASHINGTON 



GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1916 



