84 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO GARDEN AND ORCHARD CROPS. 



larvse were much, slower in development, leading a somewhat preca- 

 rious existence in traveling from one leaf to another and in being com- 

 pelled to share their food with the aphides which infested the same 

 plant. It required till June 30, or twenty-six clays, for one of these to 

 attain maturity, and even at this time it was stunted when it entered 

 the earth. It issued as imago July 12, having required about forty 

 six or forty-seven days in its development from egg to beetle. 



On another occasion a colony of the larvse of this insect was found 

 feeding on lambsquarter at Eosslyn, Va., June 19, 1893, about half of 

 them at this time nearly full grown. One of the larvre observed later 

 ceased feeding for a day or two, and July 3 entered the ground, where 

 it remained for several days more before assuming the pupa state. It 

 was still in the larval condition July 7. The imago was formed July 18, 

 but remained in the earth till fully colored and hardened, appearing 

 above ground July 20. 



The pupal period in cool weather would probably reach as many as 

 nine days. Thus we would have periods in the life cycle varying as 

 follows: Egg, six to nine days ; larva, active period, ten to twenty-six 

 days; inactive period, six to fifteen days; pupa, six to nine days; 

 entire cycle, about thirty to sixty days. 



Larvae were first observed to enter -the earth for pupation as early 

 as June 8, to transform to pupre on the 14th, issuing as adults two 

 weeks later. Individual beetles, presumably of the old or hibernated 

 generation, were observed, though sparingly, as late as July 20, but as 

 the earliest of the first new generation did not appear till the end of 

 the month, there was no overlapping of generations. 



The beetles of the first generation, as previously observed, laid eggs 

 for a second generation, beginning July 22, continuing through August 

 until September 5. 



By the middle of September nearly all of the beetles of the first 

 generation were dead. 



A female with swollen abdomen was isolated August 24. The next 

 morning she had laid a mass of 35 eggs; next day she had deposited 

 another mass of 34; August 30, a third mass of 36; August 31, 38; a 

 fifth September 5, and was still living September 19. She had depos- 

 ited in this time about 180 eggs, but it is not known how many she may 

 have laid previous to this. 



BIOLOGIC LITERATURE. 



The biologic literature of this species is limited. In addition to the 

 record quoted there are two others of the occurrence of this species, 

 that published by Mr. Lawrence Bruner in 1891 (Bui. 23, Div. Ent., 

 I>. 15), which reads as follows: " Common on beets and other chenopodi- 

 aceous plants, the leaves of which it riddles with holes," and that by 

 the writer the following year in which the occurrence of the beetles on 

 Amarantus spinosus is recorded (Proe. Ent. Soc. Wash., vol. ii, p. k 2G5). 



