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JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



[Vol. 8 



conditions on the trees. By June 19 many females were noted to be 

 heavy with eggs but none were observed to oviposit until June 21. 

 For purposes of photography the females were caged on suitable 

 apple branches under large glass cylinders. The best results were ob- 

 tained by keeping but one female in a cage. On the morning of June 

 -23, four different females were observed while ovipositing. When a 

 female is ready to oviposit she moves up and down the branch patting 

 the surface with her antennae and touching the wood here and there 

 with the tip of the proboscis. In this manner one spent six minutes 

 searching for a place to oviposit. Another individual required fifteen 

 minutes before a suitable place was found. The female begins to drill 

 the hole by means of the proboscis (Fig. 1, pi. 11). This operation may 

 require from five to eighteen minutes before the hole is ready for the 

 insertion of the ovipositor. After drilling the hole with the beak, the 

 female arches the abdomen, stands as high as possible, then unsheaths 

 the ovipositor and thrusts it forward to locate the place prepared 

 (Fig. 2, pi. 11). The head is turned under with the tip of the proboscis 

 in the hole to help guide the ovipositor. Even with this assistance the 

 insect is not always successful. One female was observed to make seven 

 attempts before inserting the ovipositor. Most individuals make two 

 or three attempts before succeeding. After each failure, the hole is 

 inspected and worked upon, for a time with the beak. Once the ovi- 

 positor is started, the abdomen is worked up and down with a rapid 

 jerky motion until the ovipositor is inserted nearly to its base (Fig. 3, 

 pi. 11). An alternate contraction and expansion of the abdomen then 

 occurs while the egg is being worked down into position. This opera- 

 tion requires about two or three minutes. The ovipositor is then with- 

 drawn and a rest of three to five minutes follows before inserting the 

 second egg. After this interval, the hole is again located by means of 

 the antennae and beak and then the operation of inserting the oviposi- 

 tor is repeated. In some cases only one egg was laid in a place but two 

 ■€ggs appear to be the normal number. In one instance a female laid 

 two eggs in each of three holes which were close together. All these 

 eggs were placed in a line forming a ring at the junction where new 

 growth started in the spring from a terminal twig (Fig. 6, pi. 11). An- 

 other favorite place is at the base of a new fruit spur. Figure 5, pi. 11, 

 shows how such a spur was broken out and two eggs left exposed. The 

 eggs are slightly curved and follow the cambium layer without pene- 

 trating the solid wood. 



On June 21 seven females of H. malinus, apparently in an egg-laying 

 condition, were captured on hawthorn at Portage Falls, N. Y. These 

 were brought to the insectary and placed in cages on suitable apple 

 branches. Two of these females were observed to oviposit on June 



