June, ’20] 
HAYES: SOME KANSAS LACHNOSTERNA 
309 
instance, in the present study were more than 46 eggs laid by any 
female in laboratory cages. They are deposited singly in the soil and 
surrounded by a small earthern ball which is held in shape by a secre¬ 
tion from the female. The earliest date on which eggs were found in 
the cages was May 22. In most instances, the first species to oviposit 
has been L. futilis and it has been observed to continue egg laying 
until July 12. 
During three seasons of the four under discussion, eggs of L. futilis 
have been the first to hatch at dates ranging from June 18 to June 27. 
The exception was in 1918 when eggs of L. crassissima were the first 
to hatch at a somewhat earlier date, June 10. 
Larvce 
The larvae, or grubs (fig. 11, c), of this genus are adequately described 
by Davis (1916, p. 265) as ‘‘white or cream white, the dark contents of 
the intestinal tract being plainly visible through the skin of the last 
few abdominal segments. The head is light tan in color, smooth and 
shiny and the body is covered with reddish brown hairs, those on the 
dorsum of the folds or ridges being short and more thickly placed. 
The ventral surface of the anal segment, which shows the most prom¬ 
inent character, bears a triangular patch of brownish hairs which are 
hooked at the tip, with an intermixing, especially at the borders of the 
patch, of fine, long hairs, and with a median longitudinal double row 
of coarse hairs or spines inclined more or less inwardly. These rows 
may be straight and parallel or more or less curved; short or long; and 
the spines in the rows may be sparsely or closely placed according to 
species. The anal slit is in the form of an obtuse angle.” The young 
larva, when freshly hatched, is pure white, but the head soon assumes 
the characteristic brownish tinge. 
Davis (1916, p. 262) and others have shown that latitude bears an 
important influence on the life-cycle of species of this genus. The 
farther northward a species is found the longer is the life-cycle. Smyth 
(1916, p. 47) in Porto Rico reared Lachnosterna from egg to adult in 
324 days—less than one year—while Davis states that in northern 
Wisconsin four years are required to complete development. Davis 
has likewise shown, and the present data confirm his observations, 
that a difference of one season may occur in the time of development of 
grubs of the same species. This difference is due to variation in the 
length of the larval stage. In Table V, the larval periods from time of 
hatching to the attainment of the prepupal condition of some 230 
individuals are considered. 
The species under consideration all pupate in the fall and pass the 
winter as adults, except L. sub?nucida, which transforms in the spring. 
