28 BULLETIN 926, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
period of 31.2 days. <A total of 298 weevil days was required by the 
10 female weevils bred from long-staple cotton bolls, or an average 
period of 29.8 days from egg to adult. The sea-island cotton bolls 
produced 30 male weevils that required 953 weevil days from egg to 
adult, or an average developmental period of 31.7 days. A total of 
18 female weevils bred required 623 weevil days, or an average period 
of 34.6 days for development from egg to adult. (Fig. 12.) 
Since the bolls had probably 
been punctured from 5 to 7 days 
before they were bagged. it is evi- 
dent that the developmental 
period of the boll weevil in green 
cotton bolls is approximately 35 
to 40 days under the most favor- 
able summer temperatures and 
longer during the fall months. 
Howe® states that the develop- 
mental period of the boll weevil 
in green upland cotton bolls at 
= Tallulah, La., under insectary 
|... conditions, was 16.2 days. At 
he Madison, Fla., the Ree 
period of the boll weevil in green 
Fie. 12.Four cavities in which four Cotton bolls under actual field 
boll weevils were reared in a sea~ conditions more than doubles 
island cotton boll, Madison, Fia = 
Howe’s record. 
FECUNDITY OF THE BOLL WEEVIL IN UPLAND AND SEA-ISLAND 
COTTON BOLLS. 
Throughout the season of 1918 attempts were made to secure rec- 
ords of the fecundity of the weevil in green cotton bolls. More than 
200 pairs of weevils were under observation at different times during 
the season. In no case were clear and concise records secured for 
individual weevils. For some peculiar reason the females did not 
oviposit freely in the green cotton bolls under insectary conditions. 
PREFERENCE SHOWN BY FEMALE WEEVILS FOR OVIPOSITION IN SEA-ISLAND AND 
UPLAND COTTON FRUIT. 
An experiment to determine the preference by the boll weevil for 
deposition was made by confining six female weevils over upland 
and sea-island cotton fruit. The female weevils were confined in a 
large battery jar on moist sand. Fresh squares and bolls of both 
sea-island and upland cottons were placed in the jar each morning 
exic2an Cotton Boll Weevil in the Mississippi Valley, 
916. 
* Howe, R. W. Studie 
= 
a1 
U. S. Dept. Agr. Bul. 35 
