FIELD BOOK OF INSECTS. 



rounded or slightly oval; the beak is as long as the head, 

 more or less dilated, and notched at the tip. 0. sulcatus 

 and ovatus have the hind femora distinctly toothed. O. 

 sulcatus is brownish-black; about .3 in. long; the femoral 

 tooth is small and acute; the pro thorax is rather cylindrical; 

 elytra with small, remote patches of short, yellowish hair; 

 the tip of the beak has a forked ridge. The larva eats off 

 the roots of strawberry and, in greenhouses, other plants. 

 It is usually not so troublesome in this way as ovatus, 

 which is shiny black with reddish-brown legs and antennas; 

 length a trifle less than .25 in.; the femoral tooth large; tip 

 of beak not ridged ; prothorax rather globose ; short, yellow- 

 ish hairs on the prothorax and also on the elytra. Neither 

 species have wings and both occur also in Europe. The 

 adults have a troublesome habit, shared by some other 

 weevils, of nibbling at tender shoots, causing serious 

 damage at times to ornamental shrubs. 



Curculioninas 



This subfamily contains the great majority of the 

 species, only a few of which can be mentioned here. 



Hypera [Phytonomous] punctata is the Clover-leaf Beetle. 

 The larvae hibernate in the stems and among the old 

 leaves of clover. 



Many species of Listronotus and Hyperodes feed on 

 aquatic plants. 



The genus Balaninus contains the Nut and Acorn "Wee- 

 vils. The species have a bulky body and a long, slender 

 beak, which is longer than the body in the females of some 

 species. It is used for drilling holes in nuts or acorns in 

 order that eggs may be placed in the kernel. The mouth 

 parts at the end of the beak work vertically, instead of 

 horizontally. Davis has noted that squirrels are fond of 

 eating the larvae, slightly opening many acorns, only to 

 discard them if no larva? are present. B. proboscideus 

 (Plate LXXXVI) is .3 in., or more, in length (the beak 

 is not included in these measurements) ; dark brown, densely 

 but irregularly clothed with yellowish, scale-like hairs; 

 the second antennal joint longer than the third ; the beak of 

 the female often nearly twice as long as the body. The 



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