432 



people congregate. But, evidence is accumulating which indicates that the ant 

 is not all bad. Recent research suggests that we should take a new look at the 

 red imported fire ant ( Solenopsis i nvlcta Burne) and evaluate its possible bene- 

 fits. For example, fire ants were observed to kill 66 percent of the young boll 

 weevils in an East Texas cotton field during 1977. As a result, no yield losses 

 due to weevil damage were observed in this dryland field, and yield was slightly 

 more than 1 bale per acre with no insecticides used for boll weevil control. 



847. , and Adkisson, P. L. 1966. An artificial diet for laboratory cul- 

 tures of boll weevil larvae and adults. J. Econ. Entomol. 59: 1074-1077. 



Six generations of boll weevils, A nthonomus grandis Boheman, were reared in the 

 laboratory on cottonseed meal diet in the complete absence of cotton squares, 

 flowers, or bolls formerly used for adult food and oviposition. These weevils 

 maintained an average weight of 18 mg and within 4 generations fecundity in- 

 creased from an average of 196 to 751 eggs per female. This diet eliminates 

 the necessity of preparing separate diets for adult and larval rearing, as well 

 as the need for maintaining greenhouse cotton during the winter. 



848. , and Adkisson, P. L. 1966. Differences in the diapause response of / 

 boll weevils from the High Plains and central Texas and the significance 



of thin phenomenon in revising present fall insecticidal control programs. 



Tex. Agric. Exp. Stn. Bull. B-.1047, 7 pp. \ 



\ i 

 Boll weevils on the High Plains of Texas enter diapause considerably earlier in ^ : 



the fall and in greater percentages than do those in Central Texas. This diffe- 

 rence in response is due not only to differences in environment between the two 

 areas, namely, earlier occurring more severe winters in the High Plains than 

 in Central Texas, but also to a difference in the genetic makeup of the tv/o 

 weevil photoperiods. Short days induce diapause in both populations; however, 

 significantly greater percentages of the High Plains weevils entered diapause / 



. * ....-Ott.1;^ 





