Oct. 13, 1923 
Biology of Tenebroides mauritanicus 
63 
Tablb I. Oviposition records of Tenebroides mauritanicus —Continued 
Just how many eggs are normally laid by the female cadelle during her 
lifetime can not be stated exactly at this time. A large number of 
female beetles were kept under observation during the season of 1922. A 
portion of these emerged during the summer and had laid comparatively 
few eggs before December. However, all of them were alive and hiber¬ 
nating at this time, and it was presumed that they would lay the bulk of 
their eggs next season. The remainder of the beetles were collected in 
the early spring, so that their exact age is not known, but at the time of 
capture they were thought to have but recently emerged. The record 
of one of these latter beetles is thought worthy of special mention as 
indicating the remarkable egg-laying capacity of this species. 
Female beetle No. 331 collected May 25, 1922 (its light color indicating 
that it had but recently emerged), laid its first eggs on July 1, 1922. At 
intervals varying from 1 to 5 days it continued to oviposit until September 
20, 1922, when it stopped for a period of 13 days. On October 3, 1922, 
it started to lay eggs once more and continued oviposition at regular 
intervals until October 15, 1922. During the month of July it laid a total 
of 451 eggs, during August 399 eggs, during September 184, and during 
October 156 eggs, a grand total for the season of 1,190 eggs. The female 
died December 2, 1922. 
