Report of the State Entomologist 273 



perfect insect two months thereafter. Two or three days later the 

 beetles began to emerge. One of the beans was then dissected, 

 giving the following as its contents: 



No larvae; three pupae, entirely white except the dusky crescent of 

 the eye; one pupa or beetle* (? semi -pupa), with dusky eyes and faint 

 gray color to the wings which lie on the ventral surface; one imago 

 with brown beak, antennae and crumpled wings blackish, elytra 

 yellowish and carried over to the side, darker basally, and showing 

 characteristic markings; one imago with the elytra on the back, the 

 wings fully extended from beneath them, thorax and legs yellowish- 

 brown ; four imagoes of nearly normal colors above, wings still extended, 

 segments of abdomen beneath dark brown anteriorly and pale over the 

 incisures; one imago, with wings folded beneath the elytra, and 

 perfect in every respect and creeping out of its cell when opened — 

 in all, eleven individuals, which have been preserved in alcohol. 



Fifty-four beetles have emerged up to the time of present writing 

 (November 28th) from the eleven beans inclosed in the box where 

 oviposition took place. One of the beans was intact ; the others gave 

 respectively 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 13, and 14 beetles. A few of the cells still 

 contain the insect. 



To conclude the history of this brood : Eggs were observed from 

 them on November 20th, and at the present time they are freely ovi- 

 positing.f The successive broods, of which this may be the tenth, 

 allowing two and a half months for a brood, would doubtless all have 

 occurred within the beans where they originated, had they been 

 retained there and their food-supply continuing sufficient for them. 



As showing the extent to which the insect may be dwarfed through 

 insufficient food-supply, it may be stated, that from the most largely 

 infested bean (fourteen beetles emerged and five still inclosed) and from 

 a portion where the cells were more closely clustered, a beetle was 

 withdrawn of only about one- third the average size ; the lid covering 

 it was almost in miniature. 



How the larva enters the bean. — As may be seen from what has been 

 written, the larva, as it leaves the egg, is able to burrow through the 



*From my lack of knowledge of the transformations of the Bruchidce (which may 

 possibly be peculiar) I know of no other indication of the final stage than the appear- 

 ance of the wings from beneath the elytra. This occurs while the elytra lie upon the 

 ventral surface, whence, with deepening coloration, ther are by degrees carried over to 

 the sides and upon the back. ♦ 



!■ The brood from this oviposition commenced appearing early in February, 1891, and 

 the Uth of the month some of the eggs were placed in a small bottle with beans. From 

 these eggs beetles were obtained on May 2d, 1891. These again ovipositing in a large 

 jar of beans, the jar was found to be swarming with beetles on July 3d, some of which 

 must have been out for several days. 



