BIOLOGICAL NOTES ON THE PARASITES. 39 



very many different beetles, although usually rhynchophoroufl 



beetles.'' 



The typical form has been bred from . 1 ntlumom us grandis at all 



times and in all places between June 15 and October 1. The form 

 xanthostigma has only been bred from the boll weevil between Sep- 

 tember 16 ami April 28, while dorsator was bred August 2, L903, at 

 Victoria; November 20, 1895, at Goliad, and December 17, L895, at 

 Beeville. />. mettitor was bred June 19, L905, at Dallas by \V. \Y. 



Yothers from Anthonomus fulvus Lee., which breeds in the buds of 



CaMirrhoi involucrata, and on .bine 1 1 he bred dorsator from the same 

 weevil. On September 20, 1905, V. C. Pratt bred male and female 

 dorsator and female mellitor from Desmoris scajxtlis Lee., breeding m 



the (lower heads of Sideranthus rubiginosus at Mexia, Tex.; on Sep- 

 tember 23 he bred the typical form from the same weevil collected 

 at Calvert, Tex.; on September 29 both the typical form and dorsator 

 from Mexia material; and on October 27 he again bred the typical 

 form from Mexia material. On September 30, 1905, the writer bred 

 mellitor and xanthostigma horn Anthonomus squamosus Lee., breeding 

 in the heads of Grindelia squamosa nuda at Clarendon, Tex.; on 

 October 2, 4 of the typical form and 1 xanthostigma were bred; on 

 October 3, 3 typical, and finally on October 16 a xanthostigma, were 

 bred. On October 18 and 23 dorsator was bred by F. C. Pratt from 

 Anthonomus eugenii Cano, breeding in peppers at San Antonio, Tex. 

 On September 6, 1906, J. D. Mitchell bred a typical form from ^Ln^o- 

 nomus aIbo[nlosus Dietz, breeding in seed of Croton capitatus at 

 Victoria, Tex. 



The data upon the life-cycle of Bracon mellitor cover the period 

 from June 25 to November 15. The entire developmental period 

 covers at least 21 days in June and 33 in October, but probably con- 

 siderably more. The period within the cocoon has been limited to 

 between 5 and 6 days in June, to 7 days in July, 6 to 11 days in 

 August, 3 to 7 days in September, and 15 to 27 days in October. 

 The minimum of 3 days in September is based upon an observa- 

 tion of the spinning of the cocoon and the time of maturity, and the 

 record of 5 days in June was obtained in the same manner. 



The larvae of Bracon can be immediately separated by the absence 

 of hairs and by the body being punctate instead of lineolate. The 

 pupae are yellowish, loosely constructed, with the appendages very 

 fragile and inclosed in a stout one-meshed silken cocoon, which varies 

 from pure white to golden yellow or dark brown. In several cases 

 where particular note was made of the brown color of the cocoon 

 hyperparasites were bred, but this was not a constant indication. 

 The species varied greatly in size, depending upon the amount of 

 food available. (See figures of larva and pupa, PI. I, figs. 5, 6.) 



