12 BULLETIN 231, U. S. DEPAETMEXT OF AGEICULTTJEE. 



PERIOD FROM FERTILIZATION TO OVIPOSITION. 



The period from fertilization to oviposition was secured as a 

 continuation of the experiments described under the period from 

 emergence to copulation. After the females in this series copu- 

 lated once they were placed on food and watched for the first egg 

 deposited. In this manner the period was determined. In most 

 cases the male was removed after the first fertilization, but in a 

 few cases the male was placed with the female for a short period 

 each day and the copulation noted. In this way as many as five 

 copulations were noted for a female before a single egg was deposited. 

 The periods determined are noted according to the food. 



Weevils fed on cotton squares. — During June, July, and August this 

 period was observed for 21 females fed only on squares. The period 

 ranged from 1 to 7 days, with an average of 3.9 days. 



Weevils fed on cotton tolls. — Three pairs of boll-fed weevils were 

 observed from first copulation to oviposition. The period for these 

 weevils ranged from 3 to 7 days, with an average of 5 days. 



Weevils fed on cotton leaves. — Only one pair of weevils started copu- 

 lating when fed only on cotton leaves from emergence. This female 

 emerged July 7 and copulated the first time on July 11. She lived 

 until July 24 and copulated 8 times in the interval. No eggs were laid. 



PERIOD FROM EMERGENCE TO OVIPOSITION. 



In the series of typical grandis the period from emergence to ovipo- 

 sition when on squares constantly varied from 3 days to 13 days, 

 with an average of 6.1 days for the positive records. 



With typical thurberise the three cases recorded ranged from 3 to 6 

 days, with an average of 4 days. These records are too few in num- 

 ber to allow a positive comparison with those for grandis, but the 

 average is just about the same as for the latter during the same 

 period (early September). 



Two pairs of progeny of female grandis by male thurberise began 

 to oviposit in 4 and 7 days each or an average of 5.5 days. 



Two pairs of progeny of female thurberise by male grandis began 

 to oviposit in 5 days each. 



The period from emergence to oviposition was observed with six 

 pairs of grandis fed only on buds and blooms of Hibiscus syriacus 

 from maturity. Three of these pairs observed during early June 

 varied from 5 to 6 days, and averaged 5.6 days. The other three 

 pairs, observed during September, ranged from 11 to 18 days, with 

 an average of 13.6 days. 



This period was also observed with two pairs of tliurberise on the 

 same food. These began to oviposit in 12 and 16 days, or in an 

 average of 14 days. 



