46 



side of the pod. When oviposition occurs in small buds the egg is 

 placed in a cavity excavated among the immature anthers. 



The egg is pearly white when first deposited, but turns somewhat 

 darker with advanced development. The form is quite regularly 

 elliptical, tapering slightly toward the micropylar end, but varies 

 somewhat according to the conditions of pressure encountered within 

 the pepper. The average length is about 0.5 mm. and the width 

 0.3 mm. (-5V by ^Vii^ch). There appear to be no characteristic mark- 

 ings on the outer membranes of the egg, which are soft and delicate 

 and easily ruptured. Under normal conditions the egg hatches in 

 from two to four days. 



The newly hatched larva is about 0.5 mm. in length and has the 

 appearance of a minute, white, legless grub. As it grows larger its 

 color is modified by the contents of the alimentary canal. 



The larva has the characteristic crescentic form common to most 

 curculionids, with a large, light-colored head bearing darker colored 

 mouth parts. Its growth is at first very rapid, especially during 

 the first three days, and at the end of this time it is about three 

 times its size when first hatched. At this stage the head is very large 

 in proportion to the body, the latter being deeply wrinkled and cov- 

 ered with tubercles. At the age of 2 weeks, after undergoing at 

 least one molt, the length averages nearly 5 mm., while the body has 

 become much larger and stouter and the body Avail more deeply 

 wrinkled. Viewed laterally, the body tapers considerably from the 

 middle toward the extremities. The head is of a light amber color^ 

 with conspicuous mouth parts. This stage appears to be that of the 

 full-grown larva. 



The amount of food available and the climatic changes naturally 

 influence the growth of the larvae, but under normal conditions the 

 size of the same stage varies but little. This conclusion is borne out 

 by the resulting slight variation in the size of the adults. The 

 larvae retain their crescent-shaped form throughout their growth^ 

 except that when about to change to the pupal condition they become 

 somewhat flattened and the lateral swellings are more apparent. 



After attaining full growth the larva transforms to a pupa within 

 a cell (PL I, fig. 1, c) formed of dried excreta and decaying matteY^ 

 and situated within the pepper pod, usually occupying the space 

 Avhich has been eaten away am.ong the seeds. The cell is oval in 

 form and varies somewhat in size, the average length being about 

 6 mm. Two or three cells are often present in a single pepper, and in 

 some cases each one of the four interior compartments into which the 

 pod is divided has nourished a larva. The location of the pupal cell 

 appears to be a matter of no significance, as cells may be found at 

 many difl'erent positions within the seed pod, the larvae evidently 



