BILL-BUGS; GRAIN-WEEVILS. 217 



quite odd in appearance, does not give a good idea of its southern 

 relatives, some of which are exceedingly long, almost linear. E. 

 minuta (Fig. 231), occurs as larva in the solid wood of oak- 

 trees. The male of the adult insect possesses a broad and flat snout, 

 equipped with powerful jaws ; the female has the head prolonged 

 into a slender one. The males fight desperately with their beaks, 

 and are even said to assist the females in forcing their slender 

 beak into the solid wood by grasping it with their own, so that 

 with united strength a hole for the reception of the egg is formed. 

 Fig. 232 shows the two sexes of such interesting insects from 

 warmer regions. 



FAMILY CALANDRIDAE. 



(Bill bugs; Grain-weevils.) 



In this family the lateral edge of the meta-thorax and of the 

 abdomen fits into a groove in the wing-cover, the surface of this 

 groove has a pearly luster. The pygidium of both sexes is un- 

 divided, and may be covered or uncovered by the wing-covers, 

 but it is not surrounded by them at the edge, as in the Scolytidae ; 

 the tibise are not serrate ; the antennae are elbowed ; and the la- 

 brum is wanting. The larvae of the larger species bore into the 

 stems of plants, while those of the smaller species infest grains and 

 seeds. (Comstock). 



As none of these beetles are destructive to fruit producing 

 plants, only a few of the better known and most destructive 

 kinds will be described and illustrated. 



The large genus Sphenophorus is well represented in our 

 state and many species are found, especially along the shores of 

 our lakes, where they occur at certain seasons in remarkably great 

 numbers. 



The most common species are S. ochreus Lee, and S. costi- 

 pennis Horn. The former feeds in the roots of Scirpus, and is 

 shown as larva and adult (Fig. 233) . It varies greatly in color, but 

 perfectly fresh specimens are ochreus, marked with whitish and 

 blackish longitudinal lines. 



