THE INSECTS OF NEW JERSEY. 



397 



Family CALANDRIDJE. 



Stoutly built, very rigid weevils, with deeply striate wing-covers and 

 characteristically marked thoracic sculpture. The beak is usually mod- 

 erate in Jength and stout. The family contains the "corn bill-bugs," the 

 "grain weevils" and "rice weevil," and a considerable proportion is 

 therefore of economic importance. In the principal genus "Sphenophor- 

 us," Mr. F. H. Chittenden has been good enough to> assist in the arrange- 

 ment of species. All the members of that genus breed in reeds and 

 grasses, and preferably such as have large or bulbous roots. 



RHODOB/ENUS Lee. 



R. tredecimpunctatus III. Throughout the State VII, not really com- 

 mon; breeds in the stems of a variety of weeds "Ambrosia," "Heli- 

 anthus," "CBnothera," "Xanthium," etc. 



SPHENOPHORUS Sch. 



S. inaequalis Say. Gloucester IV, 24, on sandy 



fields in wagon ruts (W) ; Woodbury VI, 



Brigantine VII, Atlantic City VI, Sea Isle 



VI (Bra); Anglesea V, VI (div). 

 S. aequalis Gyll. (ochreus Lee.) Orange Mts. 



(Hess); Arlington meadows (Bf ) ; Snake 



Hill (Jl); Atlantic City VII, 25, Sea Isle 



VI, Anglesea VI (div) ; breeds in roots of 



"Scirpus" sp. 



S. pertinax Oliv. Throughout the State V, VI, 



in swampy meadows and marshes along 



shore; breeds in roots of "Calamus." 

 S. setiger Chttn. Highland, a type locality 



(Ch); Lahaway VI, 22, Anglesea V (div). 

 S. villosiventris Chttn. New Brunswick (Coll); 



Woodbury, Westville, Gloucester IV, V, 



Anglesea V (div). 



S. costipennis Horn. Caldwell (Cr) ; Snake 

 Hill IV, 26 (Lv) ; Brigantine Beach IX 

 (Hn) ; seashore (W). 



S. cariosus Oliv. Newark Dist. (Bf ) ; Lucaston IX, 24 (Dke) ; Lahaway 

 VI, 22 (Sm); Brigantine Beach IX (Hn) ; Anglesea V, 30, VII, 12 (div). 



S. callosus Oliv. Jamesburg VII, 11 (Coll). 



S. zeae Walsh, (sculptilis Uhl). Throughout the State, common in the 

 southern counties, where it is the "corn bill-bug." The larvae live in 

 timothy roots, and where corn follows this sod it is apt to be badly 

 eaten by the adults when they mature in late June or early July. 

 Remedy, fall-plow old sod land intended for corn. 



Fig. 165. Bill-bug, Spheno- 

 phorus sp., from side. 



