116 BULLETIN 417, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



All the caterpillars of Porthetria dispar eaten by the beetles were 

 in the sixth stage, while the larvae of Estigmene acraea ranged from 

 the fourth to the sixth stage. An average of 172 large caterpillars 

 were eaten by each pair from the late date the beetles were received 

 to the end of the feeding season. The only pair of beetles that lived 

 emerged from hibernation June 7, 1911, and immediately began to 

 feed actively. From this date to July 22 the pair ate 63 sixth-stage 

 caterpillars of Malacosoma americana and 57 fifth and sixth stage 

 caterpillars of P. dispar, a total of 120. This number added to 172, 

 the average number eaten by 4 pairs from July 22 to the end of the 

 previous feeding season, equals 292, or approximately the number 

 eaten by the Calosoma of equal size. 



REPRODUCTION. . 



July 22, 1910, four pairs w T ere placed in battery jars for rearing 

 and feeding records. One pair was observed in copulation August 3 

 and from August 3 to 8, and later 54 eggs were deposited. 



July 28, 1911, eight pairs of beetles just received were placed in large 

 battery jars, as also one pair reared hi 1910 from eggs deposited that 

 year. The male of the latter pair died July 8, but another was 

 added and the pair entered hibernation August 8 without having 

 reproduced. Two females of the foregoing 8 pairs reproduced in 

 1911; one deposited 11 eggs and another 112 between August 7 

 and 17. 



One of the eight pairs that entered hibernation in the fall without 

 reproducing emerged May 13, 1912, and the female laid 217 fertile 

 eggs from May 25 to July 1, and died July 10. This is the largest 

 number of eggs deposited by a single female of this species in 

 confinement. 



The notes secured indicate that the species is fairly prolific under 

 favorable conditions and, if it can be established, will undoubtedly 

 prove very beneficial. 



LONGEVITY OF ADULTS. 



One female reared from the egg in 1910 was active during the 

 season of 1911 and entered hibernation that fall. June 20, 1912, the 

 cage was dug up but the female was dead in the earth, 3 inches below 

 the surface. She died some time during the hibernation period and 

 lived practically one year after issuance as an adult. 



Many adults were received from Japan during the summer of 1911 

 and several of them successfully hibernated the following winter, and 

 upon emergence were planted in colonies. The few that were left 

 at the laboratory for rearing during the season of 1912 died toward 

 the end of the summer before reentering hibernation. These adults 

 lived two summers and one winter in confinement. 



The data at hand show that the adults live at least two years, and 

 it is very probable that three years is the usual limit as with some of 

 the other species of the genus. 



HIBERNATION OF ADULTS. 



Three pairs of beetles received from Japan July 22, 1910, fed until 

 September 10 of the same year and entered hibernation. As it 

 happened, the beetles were collected and shipped at the time of their 



