- 9 - 
Table 4. — The effect of no food and of different foods on the 
longevity of the white-fringed beetle, Florala, Ala., 1938. 
Length of life 
Food 
Number of 
Average 
Range 
beetles 
(days) 
(days) 
Cotton 
17 
115.3 
55-171 
Peanut 
20 
81.0 
53-112 
Pecan 
20 
73.9 
8-125 
Strawberry 
6 
67.2 
27- 99 
Blackberry 
17 
65.0 
17-122 
Grass 
36 
30.6 
9- 53 
N(? food 
45 
19.8 
1- 62 
Fecundit y. — Complete oviposition records were secured from 32 beetles 
in 1937. A total of 25,302 eggs were deposited by these 32 beetles, ranging 
from 83 to 1,847 eggs per beetle, with an average of 790.7. These beetles 
emerged from July 10 to July 31, and the egg-deposition period ranged from 
July 15 to November 29. Ten of the 32 beetles deposited more than 1,000 
eggs each. Three of these beetles were fed on peanut foliage and 17 on 
cotton foliage throughout their life span and 12 were fed on cotton foliage 
for a period and then on peanut foliage. 
The oviposition records for beetles fed on different kinds of foliage 
in 1938 are shown in table 5. These records are based on a limited number 
of individuals and cover only one season, but they do indicate that the 
food plant has considerable influence on the fecundity of the beetle. 
Table 5. — The effect of different foods on the fecundity 
of the white-fringed beetle, Florala, Ala., 1938. 
Number of 
Average number 
Range in num 
Food 
beetles 
of eggs per 
beetle 
of eggs per 
beetle 
Peanut 
20 
1.531.7 
923-2,418 
Cotton 
17 
1,449.5 
537-2,030 
Strawber 
ry 
7 
1,122.6 
72-2,170 
Blackber 
ry 
14 
538.2 
169-1,100 
Pecan 
20 
349.3 
2- 909 
Grass 
11 
21.5 
2- 50 
Rate of egg; deposition . — The rate of egg deposition is also influenced 
by the food upon which beetles feed. The average daily oviposition for 32 
beetles in 1937 was 11 eggs, and the range for the individual beetles was 
from 5.7 to 25.8. The average daily oviposition for 3 beetles fed on peanut 
foliage was 19.6 eggs; for 17 beetles fed on cotton foliage, 9.6 eggs, and 
