6 BULLETIN 422, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. F 
not counted as eggs. The following data have been selected from 
the data concerning these three females: 
TaBLE Il.—Egg-laying records of three females of the eggplant tortoise beetle. 
Female A. | Female B. | Female CA 
Egg laying beguins? ssoack peiioais sacyne cece yee a ee eae Why 7 SSDI peer July 7. 
hast ep eside posited oper sae eee Aug. 16...| Aug. 26...| Aug. 24. 
Total number of eggs deposited -------------5----------------------= 268 269 231 
Greatest number deposited in one day-.-...-.-...-.----------------- 10 12 ll 
Average numberd oposite: 1 (aid ayes ape ae ae ee 7 5 Bs 
NUMBER OF GENERATIONS. 
With a continuous food supply available during the spring, sum- 
mer, and fall, it is apparent that several generations, perhaps five, 
will develop during this time at Baton Rouge. The minimum life 
cycle in the insectary during June can be summed up as follows: + 
’ Days. 
Period from appearance of first adult to date first eggs were laid..-...-....--.-- 9 
Length of eee stage. 02 ee ase Be a a ee er ep ae eee 4 
Length: of larval-stage. => = S823 Sa ae Se ee eee 12 
Length of pupalistages 2.22 sis. 22s Se Ps a ee 2 
During the same period the egg and larval stages were completed 
in 16 days in outdoor cages, corresponding to the minimum time 
required in the insectary. As larve were observed in the field as 
early as May 10 and as late as October 20, there is a strong proba- 
bility that, under ideal conditions, there may be five generations in 
a year. After the first generation, individuals in all stages are found 
in the field at the same time, so that it is hardly possible to determine 
the number of generations that develop under natural conditions. 
ENEMY. 
The only insect enemy of this tortoise beetle that has been found 
is an egg parasite which has not been determined as yet. So far as 
observed this species, which was first noted at Baton Rouge durmg 
August, destroys only a small percentage of the eggs 
EXPERIMENT WITH ARSENICALS. 
During May larve were causing sufficient injury to small eggplant 
at Baton Rouge to warrant the application of poison to the plants, 
and an experiment with arsenate of lead and arsenite of zine was 
conducted, the application being made with a compressed-air sprayer. 
From this experiment the following summary has been made: 
‘ Somes (7) found in Missouri that from eggs laid in July a longer period was required for the develop- 
ment of a generation. 
