18 



BULLETIN 231, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Unfortunately 10 of these females were placed 2 to a breeding 

 cage, and consequently the records for each of these cages give the 

 activities of 2 females instead of 1. Therefore complete individual 

 records of these females can not be given. 



The total number of eggs deposited by these weevils is very high. 

 The average per female in the different lots ranged from 72 to 358 

 eggs. The average for the 12 females is 247.6 eggs. These averages 

 are considerably higher than those of the reared weevils of the later 

 generations. It was previously supposed that, owing to the vitality 

 used in passing the winter, hibernated females would deposit less eggs 

 than weevils emerged during the summer, but this is shown not to 

 be the case. 



The previously recorded maximum number of eggs deposited by a 

 single female was 304. It is of considerable interest to note that 6 

 out of these 12 hibernated females evidently exceeded that number. 

 The average number of eggs per day ranged from 5.7 to 10.5, with 

 an average of 7.3. This also is greater than the average of any of 

 the later generations. 



Fecundity of summer-reared weevils. — Although the greater part of 

 the females used in the various generation series of A . grandis during 

 the season were not allowed to complete oviposition, 7 of them were 

 continued to completion. The activities of these females are shown 

 in Table IX. 



Table IX.- 



-Fecundity of females of A. grandis in various breeding series throughout the 

 season. 



Source of weevils. 



Oviposition — 



Total 

 eggs. 



Eggs per day. 



Started. 



Ended. 



Period. 



Average. 



Maximum. 





June 18 

 July 26 

 ...do 



July 12 



Sept. 30 

 Aug. 10 

 Sept. 23 

 Sept. 30 



...do 



Days. 

 25 

 67 

 16 

 60 

 59 

 44 

 44 



205 

 141 



8.2 

 2.1 



14 





10 



Do 



83 5.2 

 205 ! 3.4 

 233 3- 9 



12 



Do 



...do ... 



12 





Aug. 3 

 Aug. 18 

 ...do 



11 





153 



45 



3.5 

 1.0 



12 



Do 



5 











Total 





1.065 





















45 152.1 











3.3 

 8.2 

 1.0 









67 1 233 

 16 



14 







5 



1 











Considering the fact that these females were with males constantly, 

 were given fresh squares daily and were less disturbed than any oth- 

 ers, it is surprising that their oviposition was so low. The maxi- 

 mum did not equal the average of the once copulated weevils and the 

 average is nearly 100 less than the average for the hibernated females. 



