16 BULLETIN 1357, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Observations on the process of egg deposition by two beetles con- — 
fined in one vial at 2 p. m. were as follows: While seeking a place — 
to deposit eggs the beetles, moving their heads with a rocking motion, 
touched or “measured” the surfaces of crevices or depressions in 
the cork alternately with the tip of each antenna, and then tried 
them out with the tip of the ovipositor slightly extended, moving 
rapidly from one to another. These two individuals were then placed 
in separate vials with a small piece of dry and crumpled leaflet. One 
adult ran nervously about for a time, while the other on finding the 
leaf settled immediately and began to oviposit. 
Considerable time was spent in preparing a resting place for the 
egos. After the long, flexible ovipositor had been inserted, a thin 
- 
Fic. 7.—Egg mass of the strawberry rootworm on portion of dead leaf i 
ment and characteristic wall which surrounds each egg ae need Sever, 
transparent fluid was secreted at its tip in tiny droplets, and then 
spread or brushed-over both surfaces of the depression with two 
hairy palpuslike projections of the ovipositor. Twelve minutes were 
spent preparing the surface and four minutes in forming that por- 
tion of the wall against which the eggs were to be placed. A tiny 
droplet of the thin fiuid preceded and another followed each egg 
as it was ejected from the ovipositor, and an interval of about two 
‘minutes elapsed between the ejection of each egg. The egg was 
placed with the help of the palpuslike brush, which at the same time 
spread some of the fluid over the egg and in the spaces around it. 
When all the eggs had been placed the beetle constructed a wall 
(fig. 7) to surround the egg mass by secreting a second fluid, which 
