22 BULLETIN 539, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
LIFE CYCLE. 
The life cycles of the generations (Table IX) during summer are 
considerably shorter than those of the fall of the year and possibly 
shorter than that of the spring generation. The spring generation 
has not been reared but probably has about the same cycle as the 
fall generation. They are about as follows: 
Table X. — Duration of the spring and fall generations of Elasmopalpus lignosellus 
at Columbia. S. C. 
Period or stage. 
Summer, 
broods. ' 
Fall 
broods. 
Time elapsing between emergence and oviposition 
Egg stage 
Larval stage | 24 
Pupal stage 
Days. 
2 
3.5 
Days. 
2.5 
5.6 
Total 
38.5 
By comparing the two cycles it will be noticed that the time 
required for the insect to pass through the cycle during the summer 
months is only about 6.2 days more than one-half of the time required 
in the fall of the year. 
NUMBER OF GENERATIONS. 
There are probably four generations of this species in the latitude 
of Columbia, S. C, although it has not been reared continuously for 
one whole year to verify this. However, three complete generations 
were reared from the middle of June to the middle of October in 1913. 
Some of the pupse of the last generation gave rise to moths, while 
the remainder died during the winter. Some of the larvae of this 
last generation, not pupating in the fall, died also during the winter, 
apparently from the lack of suitable food and from being kept under 
abnormal conditions. Otherwise they possibly would have com- 
pleted their growth, pupated, and given rise to moths early in the fol- 
lowing spring (1914). 
Our collection in the spring of 1915 would seem to substantiate 
this. Larvae nearly full grown were found for the first time on corn 
in the field during the first week in June, thus rendering it probable 
that the eggs producing these larvae were placed when the corn was 
up, by the moths issuing from pupae in the early spring, as the field 
in which they were found was winter plowed and freed from rubbish 
and grass, making it impossible for these larvae to have wintered 
over under these conditions. 
