ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY — ENTOMOLOGY. Y59 



Corning, X. Y., and Marion, Pa., tlie adults were foiuid to have pi'actically 

 eaten np the foliage of clover plants, there is i-eason to believe that this one 

 may become destructive to the clover crop in future years." In a review of the 

 history of this curculio in foreign countries, it is shown to be widely distributed 

 throughout England, Europe, and parts of Siberia, and it has been reported 

 I)y one writer as a source of considerable injury in the vicinity of Dirschau, 

 western Prussia. 



In this country, the species was first collected by Le Coute at Ix)ng Branch, 

 N. J., in ]S7G. It has since been collected in Maryland. District of Columbia, 

 Pennsylvania, New I'ork, ]Maine, Ohio. Indiana, and Washington. But little 

 was known of its life history until 1909. during the course of which year the 

 author followetl its life cycle in the District of Columbia. It hibernates as an 

 adult, beneath rubbish, leaves, etc., close to the ground. The adults come forth 

 with the first warm days of the early spring and the female very soon begins 

 oviposition. On May 4, almost fully developed larvjp wei'e found by the author 

 on clover roots, eggs for which must have been deposited during the latter 

 part of March. The female deposits promiscuously a large number of whitish 

 eggs on the leaves and ground, or even on the side of the cage when confined. 

 In the field eggs were found adhering to the lower leaves of both red clover 

 and alfalfa. It is very probable, however, that in the natural state the eggs 

 are usually deposited at or near the surface of the ground. The egg period is 

 13 days in duration. 



The larvje immediately after hatching out go down into the ground, and the 

 pupal stage is passed in an earthen cell, which is oval in outline, about ts in. 

 long, and half as large in diameter. The time required for the pupal stage is 

 from 8 to 10 days, and that required from the deposition of the eggs to the 

 appearance of adults was from 38 to 43 days, thus making from 17 to 21 days 

 for the larval stage. As the investigations of clover roots at various intervals 

 during October and November failed to reveal any larviTe, the author concludes 

 that a second fall brood is wanting in the District of Columbia. The several 

 stages of the curculio are described and figured. 



The larvae feed on the roots of the food plants, large cavities being eaten 

 along the main roots; often these are in the form of a groove, containing the 

 feeding larvte. The adults feed on the leaves, eating out irregular patches 

 from the margin. Red clover appears to be the most common choice as a food, 

 while white clover, crimson clover, and alsike clover are all fed upon to a 

 greater or less extent by both the adults and larv:e, and alfalfa seems to be a 

 common food plant for both. 



The larvae were found to be attacked by a fmigus but no insect parasites 

 were discovered. A list is given of 14 si)ecies of birds which the Biological 

 Survey of this Department has found to feed upon the adults of the curculio. 



Fp to the present time the depredations of the pest have apparently been too 

 limited and inconspicuous to call for investigations along the line of remedies 

 and preventives. It is considered probable that the system of short crop rota- 

 tion has assisted in limiting their number. 



A bibliography of 16 titles, which includes the more important papers relat- 

 ing to this species, is appended. 



The rose curculio (Rhynchites bicolor) in Massachusetts, B. N. Gates 

 (Jour. Ecoii. Eiit., 2 (1909), \o. 6, pp. .'t65, '/6'6). — During May and June this 

 curculio became so numerous on the rugosa or Japanese rose in the vicinity of 

 Worcester, Mass., as to ruin nearly every blossom by its attack upon the 

 swelling rosebuds. Shortly after attacking the Japanese rose, it appeared on 

 the hardy perennial varieties at the time when they commenced to show color 

 and was found a week later on wild roses iu fields at North Grafton. 



