32 CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. 



beetles to make a considerable showing. Specimens were collected 

 at Old Orchard Beach, Me., between 3 and 4 p. m., September 11, 

 1909, by Mr. C. A. Davis. At this time the beetles were crawling 

 over the sand along the wave line ; the tide was rising and the wind 

 was light and offshore. During the summer of 1909, also, adults were 

 found in an alfalfa field, near Pullman, Wash., by Mr. J. A. Hyslop. 



SEASONAL HISTORY. 



This insect hibernates in the adult form, hiding itself no doubt 

 under rubbish and leaves close to the ground. During the last week 

 of November, 1909, adult males and females were found at Water- 

 town and Corning, N. Y., apparently hibernating. They were lying 

 on the ground under and among the dead leaves and stems of the 

 clover plant. Hibernating individuals begin to die off about the 

 latter part of May or first of June. Miss Ormerod, in her report 

 for 1882, quotes Mr. Cluttenbuck as saying that he found adult 

 Sitones puncticollis and S. lineatus hibernating in barley, oats, and 

 wheat straw. He says, " We traced the sometimes total loss of the 

 crop of Trifolium to this source, inasmuch as we found the insect 

 in the top joint of the stubble, among which we usually drilled the 

 crimson clover (Trifolium incamatum) without plowing/' Since 

 the work and habits of Sitones hispidulus are so very similar to 

 those of S. lineatus, it seems probable that it ma} 7 hibernate in similar 

 places. 



The adults come forth with the first warm days of early spring, 

 and the female very soon begins oviposition. Adults were observed 

 abroad in large numbers by Mr. Hyslop in a small clover field 

 near Grant road, District of Columbia, on the 1st of April, 1909, 

 and when collected in vials they immediately deposited eggs. On 

 May 4 almost fully developed larvae were found by the writer on 

 clover roots at Grant road. Eggs for these must have been deposited 

 during the latter part of March. 



The female deposits promiscuously a large number of whitish eggs 

 on the leaves and ground, or even on the side of the cage when con- 

 fined. In the field eggs were found adhering to the lower leaves 

 of both red clover and alfalfa. Within less than a day these eggs 

 change in color to a shining black. It is very probable, however, 

 that in the natural state the eggs are usually deposited at or near 

 the surface of the ground. The egg period is 13 days in duration. 

 The larvae immediately after hatching go down into the ground. 

 Great trouble was experienced in getting eggs to hatch in rearing 

 cages, and it seems from this that there may possibly be some other 

 as yet unknown condition entering into egg deposition in the field. 



