THE GENUS CALOSOMA. 



81 



November 14, 1911, 6 males and 14 females were liberated in the 

 beds of Asparagus plumosus in Mr. Elliott's greenhouse, Brighton, 

 Mass., by the junior writer, and several of these were placed upon 

 the leaves of the plants. They did not show any ability to climb 

 the smooth stems of asparagus but merely clung to the leaves for a 

 few minutes and then dropped. Mr. Dudley, upon liberating adults 

 in the same place and under the same conditions, April 19, 21, and 

 30, 1912, states that several of the adults thoroughly demonstrated 

 their ability to climb these asparagus stems. The stems twine about 

 strings arranged for their support in an upright position and some of 

 the beetles which were placed upon them about 5 feet from the ground 

 ascended 15 feet or more. A few of the beetles climbed to the top 

 of these plants and down again without falling. 



The data secured on the latter dates seem to indicate that this 

 species would fare well under the conditions that existed in this green- 

 house, as the cutworms (Noctua clandestina) climb to the top of these 

 plants at night and feed on the young terminals. 



FOOD CONSUMED BY ADULTS. 



Some daily feeding experiments were conducted in the laboratory 

 with adults received from Texas, September 29, 1909, and these gave 

 interesting results. Such food as larvae and pupae of Hyphantria 

 cunea, puparia of Varichaeta sp., and larvae of Carpocapsa pomonella, 

 Plodia inter punctella, Pontia rapae, and Tenebrio molitor were offered 

 and were consumed greedily. 



Table 21. — Feeding record of three pairs of Calosoma lugubre, 1910. 



Species of full-grown larvae consumed. 



First 

 pair. 1 



Second 

 pair. 2 



Third 

 pair. 3 





13 



115 

 20 



48 









95 

 14 



67 





7 













Total. 



196 



109 



74 







i Male emerged June 30, female emerged June 15; pair ceased feeding Sept. 10. 



2 Male emerged June 23, female emerged July 3; pair ceased feeding Aug. 10. 



3 Male emerged June 30, female was unearthed July 17; record was discontinued Aug. 10. 



None of the above beetles reproduced in 1909 but fertile eggs were 

 secured from the two latter pairs in 1910. All of these beetles died 

 at the end of that year. 



Two pairs of adults received from Victoria, Texas, April 26, 1911, 

 were fed in jars from that date until the female of the first pair died 

 August 11, and the other ceased feeding to enter hibernation at that 

 time. Both pairs reproduced during the season, which usually 

 stimulates the feeding activity. The first pair (No. 4764) consumed 

 44 full-grown Noctua clandestina larvae, 106 sixth-stage Malacosoma 

 americana, 121 fourth to sixth stage Porihetria dispar and 16 full- 

 grown Estigmene acraea caterpillars with 6 P. dispar pupae, making a 

 total of 293. The second pair (No. 4765) consumed 46 full-grown N. 

 clandestina and 30 E. acraea larvae; 113 sixth-stage M. americana and 

 136 fourth to sixth stage P. dispar caterpillars with 43 pupae of the 



54880°— Bull. 417—17 6 



