The Biology of Maine Species of Altica. 187 



The Egg. 



Coloration. The eggs do not as a rule show any change 

 in color before hatching, except that the 4 black thoracic spots 

 show through the shell about 24 hours previous to the emer- 

 gence of the larva. 



Where deposited. The eggs are deposited on the lower 

 surface of the leaves of the food plant, and at least on the 

 elm, always in the angle formed by the union of one of the 

 secondary veins with the mid-rib. The eggs may or may not 

 be streaked with excrement. 



Hoiv many deposited. The eggs are never deposited in 

 clusters as in the case with most flea-beetles, but only one or 

 two are laid in any given place. This is in marked contrast 

 to the habits of related species. 



The Larva. 



Hatching. The process of hatching is exactly the same as 

 that already described for A. corni on page 166. 



Coloration after hatching. When the larva hatches from 

 the egg, it is bright yellow (less orange than biinarginata) ; the 

 legs are translucent, the setal punctures brown, and the fused 

 tubercles v-vii-viii of the mesothorax and the metathorax are 

 very dark brown so that the larva appears yellow with four 

 black spots. The coloration of the newly hatched larva, which 

 gradually becomes darker is typically that outlined below : 



10 min. : head slightly blackish, tips of the tarsi black, thoracic spots 

 black ; 20 min. : abdomen somewhat darkish, tubercles brown, head de- 

 cidedly blackish, tarsi blackish and the rest of the legs dark ; 30 min. : 

 prothorax blackish, as dark as the abdomen, head dark gray ; 40 min. : 

 legs all gray, tubercles and prothorax gray, head almost black ; 50 min. : 

 darker, but no change in the relative coloration ; 60 min. : tubercles 

 legs and prothorax dark graj', body gray with only a faint suggestion 

 of yellow, head shining black ; 70 min. : no change ; 90 min. : head, pro- 

 thorax, and last joint of legs shining black; 120 min.: normal colora- 

 tion. 



Color description of a first instar larva, early. Head, prothoracic 

 and anal shields, and legs shining black ; general body color dull yellow ; 

 dorsal and lateral tubercles dull black brown ; lateral tubercles (v-vii- 

 viii) of mesothorax and metathorax shining black and very prominent; 

 ventral tubercles brown ; anal proleg yellow. 



