110 



BULLETIN 417, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



The average number of days passed in the egg stage was 9; for 111 

 eggs observed in ID 10. Fifteen days were required for hatching eggs 

 deposited the latter part of May, when the weather was cool, but 

 only three to six days were necessary late in June or early in July. 



DESCRIPTION OF LARVA. 



First stage. — Medium to small size, fusiform. Average length of 12 specimens, 

 9 mm.; width, 2.2 mm. Caudal appendages long, straight, bearing a few long spines. 

 Color shining black above, ventral plates grayish-brown. 



Second stage. — Somewhat stouter than first stage. Average length of nine speci- 

 mens, 16.5 mm.; width, 3.5 mm. Caudal appendages stout at base, rather erect to 

 dorsal protuberance, curved slightly upward and gradually tapering beyond pro- 

 tuberance. Protuberance short, erect, and located less than one-half the distance 

 from base to tip. Color same as in first stage above, ventral plates dark brown. 



Third stage. — Rather robust in form. Average length of four specimens, 22 mm.; 

 width, 4.9 mm. Caudal appendages short, stout, and rather erect to dorsal protuber- 

 ance, curved upward beyond this, acute at end. Protuberance more prominent than 

 in second stage. Color of dorsum shining black with metallic luster, ventral plates 

 dark brown. No reddish-brown patch at base of caudal appendages in second or 

 third stages. 



TIME REQUIRED TO COMPLETE LARVAL STAGES. 



From 3 to 7 days are required for the first stage, or an average of 

 5; 3 to 5, or an average oi 4, for the second; and 10 to 14, or an 

 average of 11, for the third. The larva? are active and feed about 19 

 or 20 'days. Four days are passed in the prepupal stage. 



Table 26. — Food required to mature larvx of Calosoma auroTpunctatum, 1910. 







Malaco- 



Porthe- 









soma 



tria 







Date 

 hatched. 



ameri- 



dispar 





No. 



cana 

 eaten, 



eaten, 

 fourth to 



Total. 







six) h 



sixth 









stage. 



stages. 





2789-A 



June 11 



5 



16 



21 



2789- B 



ill 



5 



40 



45 



2789-C 



13 



3 



13 



16 



2789-H 



14 



6 



46 



52 



2789-1 



. 13 



4 



51 



55 



27S9-J. 



116 



1 



55 



56 



1 Larvae died when full gro\\ii. 



The average number of large caterpillars required to complete the 

 -growth of 12 larva?, 6 of which are given in Table 26, was 40. 

 The larva? of this species appear to be very voracious feeders, as from 

 16 to 56 large caterpillars were destroyed. The average for this spe- 

 cies was twice that consumed by larva? of Calosoma calidum. 



Two larvae of this lot pupated and issued as females in July, 1910. 

 They came on the surface of the earth and ate 19 and 27 large cater- 

 pillars, respectively, before entering hibernation. These are the only 

 adults that have been reared and indicates that this habit may be 

 constant. This species resembles C. calidum in this respect. 



PUPA. 



Length of female, 19 mm.; width, 7.5 mm. Male, 18.7 mm. long, 

 7.2 mm. wide. 



The larva? under observation in 1910 ceased feeding June 27 to 

 July 3, then entered the earth and constructed cavities. Pupation 



