October, ’24] shepherd: biology of echocerus cornutus 575 
instar lasts for a period of fourteen days, two of which are spent in an 
inactive condition which I choose to call a prepupal stage. 
Food Habits. I have found, during my observations, Echocerus 
cornutus feeding in flour, corn meal, germea, dog biscuits, corn, pan¬ 
cake flour, yeast cakes, bran and farina. By means of tests it has been 
demonstrated that these beetles show a preference for flaky material and 
this choice may be linked up with the tactile responses of the beetle. 
Damage to Foodstuffs. The chief damages to foodstuffs occasioned 
by the presence of Echocerus cornutus , are the presence of either living or 
dead insects, either in larval or adult form; the presence of cast skins; 
the loss of material eaten during growth and the presence of accumu¬ 
lated dust and frass. 
Attraction by Water and Moistened Materials. In some tests 
to determine whether or not these beetles were attracted by water 
I found that even in the face of a mechanical difficulty they would make 
an effort to get to the water. So pronounced was this attraction that my 
interest was aroused in determining whether or not moistened material 
would be as attractive as the water. Accordingly I mixed some water, 
with meal and in comparing the infestation of the moistened material 
with that of the dry there was shown a very decided preference for the 
former. Believing that some use could be made of this preference in the 
mixing of bait and using arsenicals as one of the ingredients, some poi¬ 
soned material was prepared by the use of Paris green and arsenious 
acid. The result of experimentation with 100 beetles went to show that 
there was a decided preference for the moistened material. The ma¬ 
terial poisoned with Paris green acted somewhat as a repellent, more dead 
and living beetles being found in the meal poisoned with the arsenious 
acid. At the end of sixty-five hours but fifteen live beetles remained. 
Effect of Air-Tight Sealing on Echocerus cornutus. Even 
today the opinion is rather general that “bran beetles” or “Weevils” 
can live almost wholly independently of ventilation and that a non-ven- 
tilated atmosphere, of a somewhat optimum temperature and amount of 
water vapor provides the most favorable condition for the reproduction 
of the insects. In the light of experiments performed, such ideas are en¬ 
tirely erroneous. Adult beetles, Echocerus cornutus , succumbed to the 
lethal effects of air-tight sealing in the short period of five days and the 
larvae of the same beetle succumbed, under the same conditions, ip from 
five to ten days. 
While conducting certain tests notice was taken of the mortality 
suffered by these beetles when confined in open vessels containing food, 
