TRIBE III. IIYPEKIXI. 



147 



Common throughout Indiana; more so in the northern coun- 

 ties; April 23 October 

 22. Taken from beneath 

 rubbish, especially 

 along the mud flats and 

 borders of lakes ; on 

 sidewalks in Indianap- 

 olis, June 1 and October 

 1 . I >escribed from 

 Sweden and common 

 over Europe and north- 

 ern Asia; introduced 

 into the United States 

 about 1850 and now es- 

 tablished from New- 

 foundland to North 

 ( 'arolina west to Iowa 

 ^^^^ and Texas; also in a 



Fig. 58, V 7- (Aftei- Forbes.) ,. -r, 



few places on the Pa- 

 cific Coast. Known as the "clover-leaf beetle,'' since both larva? 

 and adults feed upon the tender stems and young leaves of all 

 kinds of clover and alfalfa. The eggs are laid in the fall in old 

 clover stems or in dead leaves and debris at the base of the plant. 

 The majority of eggs hatch in autumn, but some winter over and 

 hatch early in the spring. The larvc^ hibernate in the stems and 

 among the old leaves, and on warm winter and spring days they 

 come forth and feed on the young leaves. When full grown they 

 form cocoons, the pupal period lasting from 10 to 20 days. But one 

 brood occurs each season, the adults emerging from May to mid- 

 July. After mating most of the adults die, but a few doubtless 

 hibernate. In dry seasons the damage to the clover crop from 

 the weevil may be serious, but in wet ones it is held in check by 

 a parasitic fungus, Entomophthora sphcerosperma Fres., which 

 attacks not only the larva? of H. punct<tt<i but those of many other 

 insects. (Folsoni, 190!).) 



II. PHYTONOMUS Schonh., 1826. (Or., "plant" 4- "preying.") 



Body never stout, broad and thick as in Hi/pera; intercoxal 

 process somewhat narrowed at tip; stem of male genitalia much 

 longer than wide. Other characters as in key. The larvae feed 

 mainly upon legumes or species of dock (Runic./-). Seven of the 

 13 species known from North America occur in the Eastern 

 States. 



