THE CURCULIOS OR WEEVILS. 47 



food and the 3arv;v are soft white maggot-like grubs, always des- 

 titute of legs, though in the place of the latter are often little 

 elevations or papilla? which are sometimes surrounded or 

 crowned by a circle of minute bristles. The form of the larvae 

 is subcylindric or rather convex, not flattened, and they have the 

 head free, exserted and covered with a hard chitin and the mouth 

 extending downward. When quiescent they assume the form 

 of a curve, the front part of the body being a little thicker. 

 Familar examples are the white "worms" found in chestnuts and 

 hickory-nuts. Their jaws are strong and heavy and with them 

 they gnaw those parts of the plants which serve for food. Most 

 of the larva? transform within the vegetable substances upon 

 which they have lived ; others, however, enter the ground and 

 there change to pupa? and then to imagoes. The mature beetles 

 are most of them diurnal in habit and love to rest upon foliage 

 and enjoy the sunshine. Some are without inner wings and un- 

 able to fly. They walk slowly when disturbed but being without 

 means of defense or organs of flight, they soon turn back their 

 antennas into the grooves beneath the head, fold their legs, let go 

 all holds and tumble to earth. There they remain for some time 

 before resuming activity, their dull color usually resembling that 

 of the ground so closely that they readily escape notice. 



Thirteen subfamilies of Curculiouidre are recognized in this 

 work, all of which are represented in our territory. They may 

 be separated by the following 



KEY TO THE SUBFAMILIES OF CUKCULIONID.E. 



a. Antennae straight, their grooves wanting. 

 1>. Club composed of completely separated joints. (Fig. 12.) 

 c. Thorax without side margin. 



<!. Labrum present; palpi well developed, flexible (Figs. 10, 11); 

 form elongate-oblong. Subfamily I. RHINOMACERIN.E, p. 49. 



dd. Labrum absent; palpi short, rigid. 



e. Mandibles flat, toothed on inner and outer sides (Fig. 8) ; tibiae 

 with short terminal spurs at tip; claws free, bifid or acutely 

 toothed; form usually elongate-oval, subdepressed. 



Subfamily II. RIIYXCHITIX.E, p. 52. 



ee. Mandibles stout, pincer-shaped; tibias armed at tip with two 

 strong hooks; claws connate at base; form short-oval, ro- 



Subfamily III. ATTELABIN.E, p. 61. 



cc. Thorax acutely margined and excavated beneath; three dorsal seg- 

 ments exposed; form very short, stout. 



Subfamily IV. PTEROCOLIX.E, p. 64. 

 bb. Club composed of compactly united joints. 



