58 
female was seen in tlie act of oviposition just before dusk and another 
one in the morning-. 
The ej^tj of Criocerin l:3-punctai(i is of about tJie same proportion as 
tliat of C. fispanif/i^ bein«r just jjerceptibly more tlian 2A times as lon*( 
as\vi(h', but it dilfers in bein-,^ nearly sinnoth and sliining, without ap- 
parent sculpturi' (as viewed uiulrr a moderately higli objective), and in 
bein;; pointedly rounded at eacli end. It is attaeiied to the plant at its 
side ami at the side or sides of attachment is more or less tiattened and 
roughly rugose, according t4) the shape of the plant where it is attached. 
In color it is nearly the sanu* as aspanKji, but a sha<le lighter. Length, 
1 to 1.1'"".; widtli, 0.4' 
In the accompanying illustration the (i^^g is shown much enlarged on 
the left, and initural size upon the ])lant at the right. 
Tlie i'^jr<i wiien first laid is milk white, with a yellowish tint, but it 
soon afterwards takes on a greenish shade which later changes to brown- 
isli olive. The eggs of this species a])])ear to require 
longer lor attaining full coloring than is the case 
with C. aspanu/i. 
X<tfcs on the insecfs life habits. — A larva, nearly full 
grown, was found crawling rajiidly about on the office 
exi)erimental bed June 1(>, at 10 a. m. It was pro- 
vided with a sprig of asi)aragu8 bearing berries, and 
a quarter of an hour later was working its way into 
one of them. The following morning it was fouml to 
have entered the berry. Twenty-four hours later it 
had almost completely hollowed out the berry, and a 
a fresh one was given it. At 12 o'clock, or two hours 
later, the larva had issued from the first berry and a 
noticeable increase in its size was apparent. An hour later it entered 
the earth, showing it to have been full grown. 
The bud was now examined, and only the rather thick outer skin, the 
stem, and a portion of the pulp, all of which had been masticated and 
evidently passed by the beetle, remained. In the single day that the 
larva had worked upon this berry it had entered, excavated, and evi- 
dently devoured its entire interior, having broken down the cell walls 
and eaten the six seeds ami chewed up and probably swallowed the 
pulj), leaving nothing but the skin and stem. 
A larva that had left an asparagus berry found at Cabin John. Md., 
June 7, had formed its cocoon June 1(1. For three days it was noticed 
still in the larva tbrm. June iM it had transtbrmed to pupa, and on the 
30th the imago appeared. A second larva, from the office bed June 18, 
entered the earth soon afterwards, and the beetle was found trying to 
cut ifs way out from its cocoon July .*i. 
The normal <late of ai)pearance of the first new generation cannot be 
given, but about NN'ashington it is some time in June, and i)erhaps as 
early as .lune 15 in earlier seasons than the present. 
Fio. 15.— Oriocervt 12- 
puuctata: c^iji. natural 
size, on a. spa raj; us 
leaves at riglit : sanu-, 
enlarged, at l»'ft (origi- 
nal). 
