TRIBE 1. SITONINI. 



141 



Flg w ? ld X r th 



178 (S34C). SITONA HISPIDULA Fab., 1776, 226. 



Oblong, convex. Piceous-black, shining; above rather densely clothed 

 with minute oval, cupreous and grayish scales, those 

 on thorax arranged to form a narrow median and 

 two broader lateral stripes; antenna?, tibiae and tarsi 

 reddish; club and femora piceous. Head and beak 

 about as long as thorax, deeply and rather coarsely 

 punctate. Thorax subcylindrical, as wide at middle 

 as long, apex and base truncate, sides feebly rounded; 

 disc coarsely, sparsely and deeply punctate. Elytra 

 one-half wider at base and twice as long as thorax; 

 disc feebly striate, striae punctate; intervals slightly 

 convex, each with a single row of stout, inclined, 

 grayish setae. Under surface sparsely clothed with 

 fine prostrate hairs. Length 3 5 mm. (Fig. 53.) 



Lake, Starke, Marion, Wayne, Hamilton and Posey counties, 

 Ind. ; probably throughout the State; April 13 

 Sept. 1. Not rare near New York City, 

 crawling on suburban sidewalks late in fall ; 

 hibernating at South Orange, N. J., January- 

 February. Ranges from Ottawa, Canada, and 

 New England to Nebraska south to District of 

 Columbia and Missouri. First noted in this 

 country by LeConte at Long P>rauch, N. Y., in 

 1870, from about the roots of grass growing 

 on sand dunes, it has spread westward to the 

 Mississippi or beyond and has also been re- 

 corded from Pullman, Washington. Known 

 as the ''clover root curculio,'" the eggs being 

 deposited on the under side of the leaves and (After wiidermuth.) 

 the larva 1 feeding upon the roots of the red and white clovers, 

 alfalfa and blue-grass. The younger larvae feed upon the smaller, 

 more tender roots while the more mature ones 

 often eat large cavities and grooves along the 

 larger roots. The adults feed on the leaves, eat- 

 ing out irregular patches along the margins. 

 From 3S to 43 days are required from the egg 

 to the imago stage, the larval period varying 

 from 17 to 21 days. The hibernating females 

 deposit their eggs early in spring, the first 

 beetles from these eggs appearing in May and 

 June. Two broods probably occur each season. 

 A rotation of crops is one of the best remedies 



Fig. 54. Larva of 

 Sitona hispid iila X 10. 



Fig. 55. Pupa of 

 Sitona liispidnla X 

 8, showig form of 

 beak. (After Wii- 

 dermuth.) 



for getting rid of the beetle where it is very destructive. 



