50 



PAPERS ON THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL, ETC. 



just before hatching, 

 sions of the esf^ are 



a 



/^P#p 



:c. 



Fig. 8. — Apiomerus spissipes: a, ny 

 adult, side view; d, same from 

 enlarged (original). 



summer 10 to 12 da3^s 

 days were required. 



The collar is shining white. The dimen- 

 as follows: Width at narrowest part — just 



below collar — 0.5 mm.; 

 greatest width, 0. 64 

 mm. ; length below col- 

 lar, 1.51 mm. ; length of 

 collar, 0.26 mm.: total 

 length, 1.T7 mm. The 

 width of the collar varies 

 from slightly less than 

 the greatest width of the 

 egg to slightl}^ more. 



In cubation. — In cuba- 

 tion varies slight!}^ in 

 the time required in dif- 

 ferent Qgg masses. 

 Thus, in May, under 

 conditions exactly the 

 same, incubation re- 

 quired 12 days in one 

 instance and 16 in 

 another. During mid- 

 Later, in the fall, Itt to 16 



mph, 5th instar; h, egg mass; c, 

 above, a, c, d, natural size; b, 



were sufficient. 



FOOD. 



a ,-' 



The insects preyed upon in the laboratory embraced the orders 

 Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera. 

 The process of feeding is a long one 

 and varies with the size of the prey. In 

 general the reduviids lie in wait in an 

 alert attitude for the approach of an 

 insect and then spring upon it, but 

 frequently they take the initiative and % 

 or run toward an insect. The insect fed 

 upon is not left until all the juices are 

 sucked from its body. Sometimes this 

 takes onl}' a half hour, at other times 

 the reduviid feeds for one or two hours. 

 Boll weevils fed upon by Aj>lonierus 

 spissipes are often as dry and crush 

 almost as easily between the fingers as 

 do pinned specimens. The first punc- 

 ture by the beak of spissipes is gen- 

 erallv fatal. In the case of boll weevils 



-ti 



Fig. 9. — Eggol" Apiomer lis spissipes: A, side 

 view of Ggg; B, egg-cap, side view; C, top 

 view of egg; a, collar; b, egg cap; <?, point 

 of junction of agg cap wiih egg; d, at- 

 tachment of egg to leaf. Mucli enlarged 

 (original). 



upon which spissipes 

 quently fed, the weevil made only a few spasmodic movements \ 



fre- 

 fter 



