THE CALOSOMA BEETLE IN NEW ENGLAND. 17 



at Salisbury Beach, Salisbury, Mass., in 1913. It is probable that the 

 species is occasionally attracted to lights, but it is apparent that 

 this beetle does not frequent lights as commonly as other species of 

 the same genus. 



EXPERIMENTS IN DROWNING BEETLES. 



Early in the spring of 1910 a number of experiments were con- 

 ducted to determine whether beetles could continue to live after being- 

 submerged in water for any length of time. This information was 

 quite desirable, inasmuch as areas where the beetles hibernate during 

 the winter might in the spring be covered with water for a consider- 

 able period, so that unless the species are able to withstand submer- 

 gence many specimens might be destroyed in this way. 



March 17, 1910, cages containing frozen earth were dug up and 

 two male beetles were removed from their cavities and put in a jar 

 of water. At 11 a. m. the jar was placed in the laboratory ice chest 

 and kept at a temperature of 39° F. Some pieces of cloth and two 

 small blocks of wood were put in the jar with the intention of keep- 

 ing the beetles submerged, but at 5.58 p. m., when an examination was 

 made, both beetles were found swimming about in the water. They 

 were again submerged by placing a quantity of blotting paper inside 

 of the jar, but on the following morning they had succeeded in 

 making their way to the surface. A wooden float was then con- 

 structed which was placed in the jar in such a manner as to keep 

 the insects under water. They were kept in this position four days, 

 although every 12 hours they were taken out and examined to see if 

 they showed signs of life. At the end of this period they were re- 

 moved, apparently dead, but in less than an hour they revived suffi- 

 ciently to begin feeding on cutworms. 



This experiment shows that beetles of this species can live for at 

 least four days, and probably longer, if submerged in water a few 

 degrees above the freezing point. 



March 17, 1910, several small wire cages, used for feeding larvae, 

 each of which contained a newly formed beetle, were dug up and 

 submerged in a tub of water to see if the insects would survive this 

 treatment. There were several inches of frost on the top of each 

 cage and the temperature of the water was about 39° F. March 18, 

 at 8 a. m., one female had emerged and was clinging to the wire just 

 above the water. An examination of the earth in this cage showed 

 that the hibernation cavity was about 6 inches deep, and as soon as 

 it thawed out the insect made its way to the surface of the water.. 



Another cage was examined after it had been submerged 24 hours 



and a living beetle was found 3J inches below the surface of the 



earth. The cage was replaced and removed later in the day and it 



was found that the beetle had worked its way to a point a half inch 



93012°— Bull. 251—15 3 



