58 
female was seen in the act of oviposition just before dusk and another 
one in the morning. 
The egg of Crioceris 12-punctata is of about the same proportion as 
that of C. asparagi, being just perceptibly more than 24 times as long 
as wide, but it differs in being nearly smooth and shining, without ap- 
parent sculpture (as viewed under a moderately high objective), and in 
being pointedly rounded at each end. It is attached to the plant at its 
side and at the side or sides of attachment is more or less flattened and 
roughly rugose, according to the shape of the plant where it is attached. 
In color it is nearly the same as asparagi, but a shade lighter. Length, 
eGo Less width 0.4m. 
In the accompanying illustration the egg is shown much enlarged on 
the left, and natural size upon the plant at the right. 
The egg when first laid is milk white, with a yellowish tint, but it 
soon afterwards takes on a greenish shade which later changes to brown- 
ish olive. The eggs of this species appear to require 
longer for attaining full coloring than is the case 
with C. asparagt. 
Notes on the insect’s life habits. —A larva, nearly full 
grown, was found crawling rapidly about on the office 
experimental bed June 16, at 10 a.m. It was pro- 
vided with a sprig of asparagus bearing berries, and 
a quarter of an hour later was working its way into 
Fic. 15.—Orioceris 22. OMe of them. The following morning it was found to 
punctata: egg, natural have entered the berry. Twenty-four hours later it 
fad eae Ce had almost completely hollowed out the berry, anda 
enlarged, at left (origi: a fresh one was givenit. At12o0’clock, or two hours 
zen) later, the larva had issued from the first berry and a 
noticeable increase in its size was apparent. An hour later it entered 
the earth, showing it to have been full grown. 
The bud was now examined, and only the rather thick outer skin, the 
stem, and a portion of the pulp, all of which had been masticated and 
evidently passed by the beetle, remained. In the single day that the 
larva had worked upon this berry it had entered, excavated, and evi- 
dently devoured its entire interior, having broken down the cell walls 
and eaten the six seeds and chewed up and probably swallowed the 
pulp, leaving nothing but the skin and stem. 
A larva that had left an asparagus berry found at Cabin John, Md., 
June 7, had formed its cocoon June 16. For three days it was noticed 
still in the larva form. June 21 it had transformed to pupa, and on the 
30th the imago appeared. <A second larva, from the office bed June 18, 
entered the earth soon afterwards, and the beetle was found trying to 
cut its way out from its cocoon July 3. 
The normal date of appearance of the first new generation cannot be 
given, but about Washington it is some time in June, and perhaps as 
early as June 15 in earlier seasons than the present. 
