OF THE ASPIDOMORPHA MILIARIS. 133 



open its elytra which are still quite soft and liable to be creas- 

 ed and deformed. 



At this stage also, if laid on its back, the insect is incap- 

 able of turning over, unless it can reach something to hold on 

 to with its feet, the elytra not being strong enough to aid it in 

 turning over. The elytra harden in about a week or ten days, 

 but the insect takes considerably longer to reach maturity. 



Habits. 



Females about the end of their fourth week of life, begin 

 to lay egg bunches, even though they have been kept quite 

 separate from the male. These eggs are unfertile. 



About the same time, or perhaps a little sooner, the males 

 begin to try to copulate. 



When both male and female have fully reached maturity 

 they breed fairly rapidly. 



They appear, as a rule, to copulate in the heat of the day, 

 never being observed in coitu before 9:30 or 10:0 a.m., and sel- 

 dom before noon. 



They remain in coitu for several hours, almost invariably 

 till after 10:0 p.m.; the longest time observed being from 10:30 

 aim., till 10:30 p.m., but the time of separation was not then 

 observed. 



This occurs perhaps for several successive days, then, as a 

 rule, no copulation takes place for some 24 hours, after which 

 the female lays an egg bunch. 



Copulation again begins within 5 or 6 hours of the egg 

 bunch being completed. 



This excessive copulation observed to be the rule with 

 almost all pairs kept in captivity by themselves, may not be so 

 prevalent in a state of freedom if the females are more numerous 

 thari the males, especially as it appears to be quite unnecessary. 



The female is provided with a spermatheca which is 

 fertilized by the male, so enabling her to lay several fertile egg 

 bunches after complete separation from the male. 



A female isolated on the 2nd June laid egg bunches on 

 6th, 9th, 13th, and 15th June, all of which contained fertile 

 eggs which hatched out in due course. 



R. A. Soc, No. 53. 1909- 



