BLUEBERRY INSECTS IN MAINE. 27 1 



with just enough space between the two walls to receive the 

 €gg, and in the majority of cases it is simply deposited within 

 one of the sepals. In other cases the puncture is longer and the 

 egg lies in the berry itself near the surface, at the end of a 

 short curved passage leading from one of the calyx lobes. The 

 opening left after the puncture has been made is rather irregu- 

 larly circular; the edges soon become dry and turn brownish. 

 Frequently punctures of a similar nature are to be found con- 

 tinuing straight through both walls of the sepal. To make ex- 

 actly the right puncture must be a rather delicate operation and 

 presumably these represent unsuccessful attempts, for the writer 

 has never found any eggs in connection with them. Occasionally 

 an egg is deposited just beneath the skin at the stem end of the 

 fruit, the puncture appearing as before. In a short time the 

 surrounding skin becomes purplish and later hard and brownish. 



The earliest date on which the writer has found the egg oi 

 this species is June 15, 191 5; and they are to be found quite 

 generally by June i8. The duration of the egg stage was not 

 exactly determined for the overwintering adults are scarce and 

 none were swept in the field until after the egg laying period 

 was passed. Of 3 eggs found June 18, 191 5, 2 hatched on June 

 21 and I on June 22. The egg stage probably does not last 

 longer than 4 or 5 days. The latest date recorded for a first 

 instar larva is July 9, 1914, so for the most part oviposition is 

 probably over in early July. The writer has no data as to the 

 number of eggs which one individual may deposit. 



The larva. The newly emerged grub appears slightly larger 

 than the egg and is pure white except for the proportionately 

 large head which is very light yellow brown. Recently hatched 

 larvae were common on June 22, 191 5, and as the writer found 

 one on June 16 eggs are evidently deposited at least as early as 

 June 12. 



As soon as the larva hatches it tunnels to the center of the 

 berry, typically leaving behind it a hardened reddish trail which 

 is very conspicuous in the green pulp. This seems to be the 

 case no matter where the egg has been deposited. But from this 

 point on the fruit is eaten irregularly. All through its larval 

 life the weevil lives in a little cavity which is just the size of 

 its strongly arcuate body. The grub is sluggish, moving but 

 little and very slowly and filling up the trail behind it with 



