18 BULLETIN 889, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
observed that from November 26 to February 18 these beetles were 
found hibernating ‘‘under clods, leaves, sticks, etc., often going into 
loose ground but generally only under some surface rubbish where 
most of the time is spent in a semidormant condition.”” Hibernating 
adults have been taken by the senior author along fence rows over- 
grown by weeds or rubbish of any kind. . 
A few records are available showing that this insect, on certain 
occasions, passes the winter in the larval stage. Dr. F. H. Chit- 
tenden found larve remaining in stems of ragweed from November 
to April, while the junior author dissected a full-grown live larva 
from an alfalfa stem the latter part of December, 1915, and this 
larva when placed in another stem continued its development, pupat- 
ing early in March. It is thus seen that it is altogether possible for 
this species to hibernate as a larva, but its normal habit is to pass the 
winter as an adult. 
REARING METHODS. 
Cages for confining adults for oviposition were made by placing 
two glass gas-light chimneys end to end and fastening them by ad- 
hesive tape. These were then placed over an alfalfa plant growing 
under natural conditions, and the upper end of the chimney was 
- covered by muslin. Into this the adults were placed and allowed 
to remain overnight. Thus, any eggs deposited were secured al- 
most immediately after being laid. The eggs were then removed 
from the alfalfa stalk and placed either on moist blotting paper or 
in a small cavity within a plaster of Paris salve box. The larvae, 
upon hatching, were placed within stems of alfalfa.. These stems 
were dissected day after day, and each day the larve placed in fresh 
stems. A small plug of absorbent cotton was used to close the 
upper end of the stem, while the lower end was placed in a vial of 
water. 
Pupe kept within small (9 by 36 mm.) vials containing a piece of 
slightly moist blotting paper developed very successfully. As has 
been mentioned elsewhere in this paper, a great many attempts 
were made to rear larve by placing them within a split alfalfa stem, 
the open side of which was placed against the side of a glass tube 
and the lower end in a small vial of water, the larve in this cage 
being continually under observation. Although these conditions 
seemed to be very abnormal, yet a certain amount of success was 
experienced by the use of this type of cage. 
Generation records were secured by placing a wire screen cage 
(3 by 3 by 3 feet) (fig. 5) over alfalfa growing under normal condi- 
tions. Adults were placed in this cage for a definite period of time 
and then removed. Additional records were obtained by stem dis- 
sections at the time pupe were thought to be present, and these 
were used for securing the adults of a new generation. 
‘ 
