THE GENUS CALOSOMA. ] 09 



The male of pair No. 2712 died June 5, 1910, and the female alone 

 consumed 151 of the 181 caterpillars totaled for that pair. Male 

 No. 2709 died June 10 but another female was added to that jar, 

 making two females. The males in the other two jars, together with 

 all the females, lived to the end of the feeding season. 



The average number of caterpillars consumed per pair in 1909 

 was much less than in 1910, which was probably partly due to the 

 record being started a little late and because they were mostly first 

 and second year beetles at that time. Female No. 2711 deposited 

 19 fertile eggs during the latter part of June, 1910, and more food 

 was consumed in that year than in 1909. None of the other females 

 in Table 25 reproduced during either year. The average number 

 of caterpillars consumed per pair in 1910 is about the same as the 

 average for C. calidwn, which was 226. 



REPRODUCTION. 



Out of the lot of beetles imported in 1909 only three eggs from 

 which larvae hatched were deposited that year. Most of the beetles 

 entered hibernation and lived to emerge during the spring of 1910, 

 and during that year 152 fertile eggs were secured from the six 

 females. 



No copulation was observed among these beetles, but deposition 

 of eggs was recorded almost continuously between May 26 and July 

 27. Only one female lived to issue in the spring of 1911 and there 

 were no males left for mating. 



LONGEVITY. 



One female of the lot of beetles received from Europe June 1, 1909, 

 lived until August 17, 1911. This female did not deposit eggs in any 

 of the three years of her existence at the laboratory. It was a pupa 

 in the late summer of 1908 or earlier and passed two winters and 

 three summers at Melrose Highlands, Mass. Three females of the 

 same lot died in hibernation during the winter of 1910-11. Notes 

 secured on the length of life of this species show that the limit is 

 three years or longer. 



HIBERNATION. 



The beetles received in 1909 fed freely for a time and entered 

 hibernation between July 16 and August 20, the average date being 

 July 31. 



They emerged in outdoor cages in the spring of 1910 between May 3 

 and June 14, the average date being May 23. The cavities where 

 they spent the winter were from ^ to 4 inches deep, or an average of 

 3 1 inches. 



A few of these old beetles again entered hibernation in the fall o( 

 1910 with some young adults reared the same year, the average date 

 of entrance being August 9. Only three females (one old ami two 

 young) were still alive in the spring of L91 1, and these were unearthed 

 June 7 and June 23. The beetles hibernated from 2 to 12 inches 

 below the surface. 



THE EGG. 



The egg is white, slightly approaching a creamy shade. 



Twelve eggs were measured in L9l0 soon after deposition, giving an average length 

 of 4.5 mm. and a. width of 2.2 mm. The adults of ( '. aurouunctatum Payk run slightly 

 larger than C. calidum Fab., but the eggs are much smaller. The eggs of the former 

 species are elliptical in form and taper gradually toward one end. 



