366 THE CANADIAN ENTOMuLuGIST. 



from ilie seed depends very much, a^ in the case of the Pea Weevil, on 

 the temperature in the autumn months ; it may be in the kite autumn or 

 not until spring ; when the seed beans are stored in a warm building, the 

 beetles may emerge at any time through the winter. One of the 

 important differences between the life-histories of the Pea and Bean 

 Weevils is that, whereas in the case of the former the young grubs can 

 only enter the soft green seeds, those of the Bean Weevil can propagate for 

 three or four generations in the dry stored seeds. This fact renders the 



well-known demestic remedy for the Pea Weevil, of holding over the seed 

 for two years, quite ineffective in the case of the Bean Weevil ; that is, if 

 a bag of peas infested with the Pea Weevil were put away for two years, 

 the Pea Weevils would emerge the first spring and die in the bags. But, 

 in the case of a bag of beans infested by the Bean Weevil kept in the 

 same way, the beetles on emerging would at once set to work to lay eggs 

 on the beans. The young grubs when hatched would penetrate the dry 

 seeds and go through all their stages, and this breeding might be repeated 

 as long as the supj-ly of beans lasted. Curiously enough, the Pea 

 Weevil does not bore holes through the paper or cotton bags in which 

 ini'ested seed has been stored, but in the case of the Bean Weevil, such 

 bags are readily perforated and the beetles escape, — frequently, v.'hen this 

 happens in houses, as is sometimes the case, to the great consternation of 

 the inhabitants." (Fletcher, Bull. 52, Cent. Ex]\ Farm, Ottawa.) 



In the United States the Bean Weevil has been known for a great 

 many years. It was first found injuring cultivated beans in America in 

 i860, near Providence, Rhode Island. Since then it has become wide- 

 s])read in distribution in that country, and has done a considerable 

 amount of damage. At first it was considered to be a native species, but 

 it is now thought that the original home of the insect was in Asia, and 

 that it was introduced into America through commerce. The first record 

 of injury done by the Bean Weevil in Canada was in 1898, in Middlesex 

 County, Ontario, and since then two further instances of loss from the 

 ravages of this insect have been reported from Quebec P:ovince. Quite 

 recently the writer heard of the presence of the Bean Weevil at Guelph, 

 Ont., in beans imported for seed from the United States. [It has also 

 bz^en reported from Aurora, Ont. — Ed. C. E.] 



The Bean Weevil shown herewith is only about half the size of the 

 Pea Weevil, but resembles it in general appearance. The best remedy 



