44 



The Btjlletix. 



case with nearly all beetles, but notice further that there is a projec- 

 tion on this thickened portion and that this projection is notched near 

 the tip, so that it is divided into two points, "teeth," as they are 

 called, one of these teeth being decidedly larger than the other. Also 

 notice that the wing covers are smooth, except for the very fine 

 parallel lines running lengthwise, and the downy fuzz. We know of 

 none of our native snout-beetles of this size whose wing covers are as 

 smooth as these and which have the two teeth on the upper part of the 

 front leg. The Strawberry-weevil, which is very close kin to it, has 

 only one tooth on the front leg, and the weevils which infest acorns, 

 chestnuts and the like have only one. It is true that the plum 

 curculio and its near relatives have two such teeth, but they have 

 the wing covers much roughened. We have gone into these points in 



Fig. 19.— Enlarged picture of adult Boll-weevil, showing hairy covering, snout, antennae, 



and the two small teeth or projections on the front leg. The line between 



the two figures indicates the actual length of the insect. 



(After Hunter, Bur. Ent., U. S. Dept. Agr.) 



some detail, for when the weevil once does appear in this State there 

 will be need for every cotton grower to be able to distinguish it with 

 certainty from other beetles which are like it in general appearance. 

 The insect itself is of a chestnut brown color, sometimes almost black, 

 but the covering of fuzz makes it look brown or almost grayish, the 

 exact shade depending upon the extent to which the fuzz has become 

 rubbed off. The insects are not especially active, in fact they are 

 rather slow and clumsy walkers, and not rapid runners like some other 

 beetles. 



If you examine closely, then, you may distinguish the Boll-weevil 

 with reasonable certainty by: First, its size, about that of a house 

 fly, with the wing covers fitting Closely over the back; second, its 

 color, chestnut brown with more or less grayish or yellowish fuzz; 

 third, the snout, about half as long as the body ; fourth, the smooth 

 nature of the wing covers, and fifth, the two teeth on the upper part 

 (femur) of the front leg. If you have a specimen which does not 

 agree with all of these points it is probably something else. 



