INVESTIGATION OF LIFE HISTORY. 

 Experiments in Feeding Larvae. 



35 



AMOUNT OF FOOD REQUIRED. 



During the summer of 1908 two series of experiments were con- 

 ducted for the purpose of determining the number of caterpillars 

 which would be eaten by larva? of Calosoma sycoplianta from the time 

 of hatching until ready for pupation. Each larva was placed in a 

 jelly glass with a small amount of earth, and caterpillars were sup- 

 plied daily and a record kept of the number eaten. The first set was 

 begun May 23, with a few larva?, and records were kept of numerous 

 others winch hatched from that time until May 28. The eggs from 

 which these hatched were deposited by beetles that were removed 

 from hibernation during March and April. Sixteen larva? were fed in 

 this experiment and the amounts which were eaten will be found in 

 Table VI. 



Table VI. — Food eaten by larvse of Calosoma sycophanta. 



Date hatched. 



Brown- 

 tail moth 

 cater- 

 pillars, 

 fourth 

 .stage. 



Gipsy moth caterpillars. 



Fourth 

 stage. 



Fifth 

 stage. 



Sixth 

 stage. 



Total. 



May 23. 

 May 24. 



Do. 

 May 25. 

 May 26. 

 May 27. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 May 26. 

 May 27. 

 May 28. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



28 

 12 

 14 

 5 

 5 

 5 

 6 

 5 

 30 

 16 



31 



On June 19a similar experiment was begun, and between that date 

 and July 1 larvse were added, so that, in all, 19 individuals were fed 

 from the time of hatching until they were full grown. These larva? 

 developed from eggs laid by female beetles that came out of hiberna- 

 tion normally in June, 1908, while those in the previous set were the 

 progeny of females that had been removed from hibernation and were 

 fed in the laboratory under unnatural conditions. 



