4 BULLETIN 1085, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
WHERE THE EGGS ARE LAID. 
In broken or damaged corn the eggs usually are laid either in the 
germ or in the soft starch of the endosperm, and very rarely in the 
harder horny part of the kernels. In the case of undamaged kernels 
eggs are laid only if the corn is very soft, as ordinarily the seed coat 
is too tough for the weevil to penetrate. 
OVIPOSITION PERIOD AND NUMBER OF EGGS LAID. $ 
The preoviposition period of the broad-nosed grain weevil is ap- 
parently a little longer than that of the other grain weevils. The 
shortest period observed was nine days; however, it was not un- 
common for a period of from one to two months to elapse after 
emergence before the first egg was laid. 
The oviposition period, once started, extends over most of the 
remainder of the life of the weevil. The longest oviposition period 
observed was 176 days; the average was somewhat less, approxi- 
mately 123 days. 
The number of eggs laid by the female of this species is not ex- 
ceptionally great. The largest number laid by a single female under 
observation was 229. These were laid over a period of 124 days— 
August 13, 1919, to December 14, 1919, an average of almost 2 a 
day. As shown in Table 1, the average number laid is about 136. 
Table 1 contains data concerning the preoviposition period, the ovi- 
position period, the number of eggs laid, and the length of hfe of 11 
representative individual weevils. 
TABLE 1.—Oviposition data for Caulophilus latinasus. 
| | Length | | Length | num- 
Weevil Date weevil oor | Date first egg | Date last egg pee ber of Date of eee 
No. | emerged. | cition was laid. was laid. on eags death. life 
| | period. | period. i ea 
| Days. | Days. | | Days. 
Ene ah cre | June 28,1919 16 | July 14,1919 | Dec. 15,1919 155 196 | Dee. 20,1919 176 
Dieta seers all Ney Ct ee 46 | Aug. 13,1919 | Dec. 14,1919 | 124 229 | Dec. 22,1919 178 
Shine. aes | Sept. 11,1919 13 | Sept. 24,1919 | Dec. 15,1919 | SSH No eee dee 103 
AEE Shaye | Feb. 25,1920 | 31 | Mar. 27,1920 | Aug. 4, 1920 | 131 | 65 | Aug. 13, 1920 i71 
AR Sey | May 6, 1920 57 | July 2,1920 | Oct. 6, 1920 97 | 156 ; Oct. 17,1920 _ 165 
Gi So Bh Meh. 1990) | 9 | Aug. 10,1920 | Jan. 24,1921 |. 168 |. 182 | Feb. 1,1921 | 185 
Ieee ALE ER. doves eee hh ees GOs ee et OCE ea Cat OzO 79 | 85 | Nov. 4,1920 96 
Beiyseg) | Aug. 7, 1920 | 12 | Aug. 19,1920 | Oct. 26,1920 | 69 | 68 | Nov. 2,1920 88 
oie alee Heise dows seus: | 13 | Aug. 20,1920 | Feb. 11,1921 | 176 160 | Feb. 16,1921 194 
LOS Foe | Aug. 9, 1920 22 | Aug. 31,1920 |} Feb. 9,1921 | 163 IG ses 0s... .3e5 192 
iY Lees Oct. 12,1920 12 | Oct. 24,1920 | Feb. 11,1921 | 111 | 75 | Feb. 19,1921 131 
Mverapen disk. cae Bee cc] | ooo ee Sats ewe) SESE eerac eS 82 | 123 136") o.oo toe See | 152 
RATE OF OVIPOSITION. 
Oviposition continues throughout the year in a fairly uniform 
manner. In the summer months the rate of oviposition averages 
about two eggs a day, while in winter the rate drops to about one 
per day. It is not uncommon for three and four eggs to be laid per 
day during the summer, and in the colder portions of winter ovipo- 
sition may cease entirely for a day or two. The greatest number 
laid by one individual in 24 hours was six. This occurred but once. 
Table 2 contains data concerning the rate of oviposition at various 
times of the year. 
