COLEOPTERA 535 



Family MYLABRID^ 



The Pea-Weevil Family 



These are small beetles, the larvae of which live in the seeds of 

 leguminous plants. The head of the adult is prolonged into a broad 

 beak; and the wing-covers are rather short, so that the tip of the 

 abdomen is always exposed (Fig. 656). This is a compara- 

 tively small family; ninety-three species are listed in our 

 fauna, of which eighty-one belong to the genus Mylahris. 



The pea-weevil, Mylahris pisonim. — "Buggy peas" are /^Hf^ t 



M' 



well known in most sections of our country; but just how 

 the "bugs" find their way into the peas is not so generally 

 understood. The eggs of the pea-weevil are laid upon the 

 pod while the peas are quite small; when the larvce hatch pjg g^g^ 

 they bore through the pod into the young peas. Here they 

 feed upon the substance of the seed, which ripens, however, 

 and in some cases will germinate when planted. The larva before 

 transforming eats a circular hole on one side of the seed, leaving only 

 a thin scale, which is easily pushed away by the mature beetle. The 

 adult is about 5 mm. in length; it is dark brown, with a few white 

 spots on the wing-covers, and one on the prothorax near the middle. 

 Sometimes the beetles leave the peas during the autumn or winter; 

 but as a rule they remain in the seed till spring, and are often planted 

 with it. Seed peas should be placed in water, and the infested ones, 

 which will float, should be picked out and destroyed. This species 

 is not known to oviposit on dry peas. 



This and other grain-infesting insects can be destroyed by placing 

 the grain in a closed receptacle with a small quantity of bisulphide 

 of carbon. » 



The bean-weevil, Mylahris ohtectus. — This species resembles the 

 preceding quite closely; but it is a little smaller (Fig. 656), and lacks 

 the whitemarkings characteristic of M. pisorum. It infests beans, and 

 often several individuals inhabit a single bean . The eggs are laid within 

 the pod, being pushed through a slit which the female gnaws through 

 the pod. This species will oviposit on dry beans, peas, and other 

 grain, and will continue to breed for many generations in stored beans 

 and peas. 



SERIES VII.— THE RHYNCHOPHORA* 



The six families included in this series constitute a well-marked 

 division of the order, which has long been known as the Rhynchophora 

 or snout-beetles. These names were suggested by the fact that in 

 many of these insects the head is prolonged so as to form a snout or 

 beak; but it should be remembered that, while these names are very 

 appropriate for a large part of this series, in some members of it the 

 head is not thus prolonged. This is especially true of the last two 



*Rhynchophora: rhynchos (New Latin), snout; phoros {(p6po%), bearing. 



