MEXICAN BEAN BEETLE IN THE SOUTHEAST. 



25 



per cent. This high rate, however, may be partially due to the 

 fact that the dormant period of a portion of the beetles is reduced to 

 less than four months. 



Table 10. — Data on hibernation cage at Thomasville, Ga., winter of 1921—22. 



Beetles collected. 



Beetles issued. 



Date. 



Date. 



Number. 



1921. 



Sept. 28-30. 



Oct. 1-6 



Oct. 8-15 



Oct. 17-25 



Oct. 26-31 



Nov. 1-10 



Nov. 12-18 



Nov. 2.5-30 



Dee. 1-12 



1922. 



Jan. 21 



Jan. 31 



Total 



Total 



Percentage survival. 



79 



153 



97 



93 



116 



30 



339 



1.54 



261 



170 



90 



43 



27 



6 



2 



6 



1 



1,667 

 30.34 



HIBERNATION CAGE SUMMARY. 



Number of 



beetles 



placed in 



cage. 



Number of 



beetles 



emerged. 



Per cent 

 survived. 



Thomasville, Ga 



Birmingham, Ala., Cage 1 



Birmingham, Ala., Cage 2 



Chattanooga, Tenn. (Lookout Mountain) 



5, 494 

 17, 800 

 18, 050 

 18,000 



1,667 

 2,600 

 2,638 

 1,740 



30.3 

 14 6 

 14.6 

 9.7 



The maximum emergence in the cage occurred between April 1 

 and April 6, when 485 emerged, which is 18 to 31 days earlier than 

 at Birmingham, Ala., and 39 to 51 days earlier than at Chattanooga, 

 Tenn. 



In the mild climate of southern Georgia the time between the 

 earliest entrance into hibernation and the latest emergence covers 

 about 7 months, a relatively long period. The time from the entrance 

 of the last beetle into hibernation until the first emergence is only 

 about 3^ months. The majority of the beetles remain in hibernation 

 about 5 months. These habits may change, however, as the insect 

 becomes adapted to that climate, which is entirely different from 

 the conditions prevailing in the Southwestern States, where the species 

 has thrived for three-fourths of a century. 



NATURAL CONTROL. 



The known natural enemies of the Mexican bean beetle are rela- 

 tively few in the .Southeastern States. None has been of much 

 economic importance since the insect reached that section, and it 



