THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 239 



THE BROAD-BEAN WEEVIL. 



Laria rufimana (Boh.) (Family Bruchidse). 



{Bruchus rufimanus Boh.) 



(Fig. 236.) 



General Appearance. — The adults are from fourteen to eighteen 

 hundredths of an inch long and a little more than half as wide. The 

 color is black with indefinite light markings on the elytra and 

 pygidium. The head and antenna? are dark with the basal four 

 joints of the latter rufous. The fore legs are rufous and piceous 

 while the middle and hind pairs are black. The eggs are light or 

 greenish yellow in color. The larvfe are pale yellow or white with 

 dark heads. 



Life History.— According to Chittenden the eggs 

 are deposited singly and indiscriminately upon the 

 outside of the pods, where they are plainly visible 

 and are laid in the blossoms on the seed vessel 

 before or after the pods are formed. Upon hatching 

 the larvffi gnaw through the pod into the growing 

 seeds, where they continue to feed until ready to 

 transform into the pupal stage. This stage is 

 passed within the bean and the adult emerges by fig. 23 6. — The 

 cutting a circular hole in the skin. This species broad-bean w e e v 1 1, 

 hibernates in the adult stage, there being but one (Boh.). (After chit- 

 generation a year. Egg-laying begins in March and tenden). 

 April ; hence the adults live for a period of from eight to nine months. 



Distribution. — This species seems to be quite generally distributed 

 throughout the central and southern part of the State. It has been 

 taken by W. B. Parker at Sacramento, Berkeley, Richey, Amador 

 County and by J. T. Condit at San Luis Obispo. It has also been 

 taken at Watsonville. 



Food. — The broad-bean weevil gets its name from its work upon 

 the broad beans (Vicia faha), which are also known as horse, Windsor, 

 tick and English dwarf beans. 



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Control. — While many remedies have been recommended for the 

 control of bean and pea weevils, there is nothing that will compare 

 with fumigation in an air-tight receptacle. Carbon bisulfid at the 

 rate of three pounds to each one thousand cubic feet of air space for a 

 period of forty-eight hours is recommended. 



