16 BULLETIN 961, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



deep, as compared with 1J inches for the other. Several hundred eggs 

 were in each nest. 



In confinement eggs have been secured from July 27 to September 

 22. Confined females lose their instinct for careful oviposition, 

 placing their eggs under a clod or leaf, or scattering them about on 

 the. surface without covering. 



Incubation. 



Incubation proceeds as described for Macrohasis immaculata. 

 Eggs secured July 31 hatched August 18, and others deposited Au- 

 gust 1 hatched August 22, giving an incubation period of from 18 

 to 21 days. 



Habits and Growth of Lakva. 



The newly hatched larvae soon become active. Their activities 

 parallel those described for the triungulin of Macrohasis immaculoJa. 



The coarctate larvae are found near the surface, being but little 

 deeper than the lower ends of the grasshopper egg capsules. Many 

 are taken directly from the capsules. In confinement one third-stage 

 larva appeared on May 6, the pupa was fulty formed on May 12, 

 and the adult came forth on May 25. The adults appear in numbers 

 earlier than those of any other species of Cantharini taken in this 

 region, this fact being corroborated by field observations. Since 

 eggs were secured on September 27 it is evident that the adults occur 

 throughout the summer. 



Epicauta cixerea Forst. 



Oviposition by Epicauta c'merea has never been observed, nor have 

 the habits of the larvae preceding the coarctate been studied. 



The coarctate larvae have been collected at all seasons of the year 

 and wherever grasshopper eggs are to be found. They occur from 

 2 to 5 inches below the surface in nearly upright cells, in which the 

 larvae are disposed as described for Macrohasis immaculata. The 

 earliest date at which third larvae have been collected was between 

 April 12 and April 16. They are frequently found during the last 

 week in Ma}- . 



According to the writer's records the earliest pupation in confine- 

 ment occurred May 8 ; but an adult for which the pupation was not 

 recorded emerged on the same date, thus indicating pupation at 

 least 10 days earlier. Other transformations follow rapidly and 

 continue through the summer. From the dates recorded for the 

 transformation of this species it would seem that its appearance in 

 the field should precede that of Epicauta maculata, which, as stated 

 above, is the earliest to appear of the Cantharini of this region. The 

 apparent contradiction is reconciled by the occurrence of most of 

 the coarctate larvae at greater depths than those of E. macvlata, 



