FIELD BOOK OF INSECTS. 



at least in female, and pointing directly forward; form 

 usually very slender and elongate.. . .BRENTHID^E (p. 394). 



Antennae straight or elbowed, always with a distinct 



club 3. 



3. Beak always short and broad; labrum (upper lip) 

 present; antennal club rarely compact; palpi flexible; 

 pronotum with a transverse, raised line at or near the 

 base ANTHRIBID^E (p. 395). 



Beak variable in length, often long and curved down- 

 wards; labrum absent except in the subfamily Rhinom- 

 acerinas ; antennal club usually compact ; palpi rigid 



CURCULIONID/E (p. 395). 



BRENTHID.E 



The only northern species seems to be Eupsalis minuta, 

 (Plate LXXXVI). It varies in length from about .25 

 to nearly .75 in. The color varies from reddish-brown 

 to black; elytra with narrow, longitudinal, yellowish 

 spots, which are often united to form two or three cross- 

 bars. The length of the elytra is more than twice their 

 combined width, and the pronotum is longer than broad. 

 The mandibles of the male are curved, flattened, pointed, 

 toothed on the inner edge; those of the female are small 

 and pincer-shaped, at the end of a slender beak. The 

 female uses this beak to bore deep holes in the w r ood be- 

 neath the bark of dead trees and she frequently takes the 

 better part of a day at each hole, afterwards laying one 

 egg in it. It is said that a male stands guard during the 

 operation "occasionally assisting the female in extracting 

 her beak; this he does by stationing himself at a right 

 angle with her body, and by pressing his heavy prosternum 

 against the tip of her abdomen; her stout forelegs serving 

 as a fulcrum and her long body as a lever. When the 

 beak is extracted, the female uses her antennas for freeing 

 the pincers or jaws of bits of wood or dust, the antennas 

 being furnished with stiff hairs and forming an excellent 

 brush. Should a strange male approach, a heavy contest 

 at once ensues, and continues until one or the other is 

 thrown from the tree. The successful party then takes his 

 station as guard" (Howard). The larvas make extensive 



394 



