234 INSECT TRANSFORMATIONS. 



called by the French cadelle ( Trogosita maiiritanica^ 

 Olivier), and is reported to have done more damage 

 to housed grain than any other insect.* The pest 

 of the granaries, which is but too well known in this 

 country, is the grain weevil {Cahmdra granaria, 

 Clairville), the same, probably, which is mentioned 

 by Virgil, 



■Populatque mgentem farris acen^um 



Curculio. Georg. i, 87. 



The high stacks of corn 



Are wasted by the weevil. Trapp . 



Kirby and Spence calculate that a single pair of 

 weevils may produce in one season 6000 descendants; 

 and they were told by an extensive brewer that he 

 had collected and destroyed them by bushels,'f — 

 meaning, no doubt, insects and damaged grain to 

 gether. 



V 



Corn weevil (CaUmdra granaria), magnified. 



Another beetle grub, popularly called the meal 

 worm, the larva of Tenehrio molitor, Linn., which 

 lives in that state two years, does no little damage to 

 flour, as well as to bread, cakes, biscuit, and similar 

 articles. Accounts are also given of the ravages com- 

 mitted by the grubs of other beetles, of several species 

 apparently not well ascertained, upon different sorts of 

 provisions, such as bacon, ham, dried tongues, ship 

 biscuit, &c. Sparrman tells us, that he has wit- 

 nessed the ground peas on ship-board so infested 



* Olivier, ii, 19. t Intr. i, 173. 



