Semi-Centennial Volume. 77 



OCCURRENCES OF PESTS. 



INFESTATION OF ROUGH RICE. 



With the first inspection of stocks kept in storap:e, a quantity of 

 rough Honduras rice that had been held for about a year in a general 

 warehouse in New Orleans, La., was found to have undergone consider- 

 able damage by insects. Owing to the cold weather at the time of this 

 visit, which was made on January 17, 1912, most of the pests were en- 

 countered in the form of beetles that existed in a dormant state. They 

 hung in scattered numbers among the loose fibers on the dusty sides of 

 the bags containing the rice. When placed in the hand for a while the 

 specimens soon showed signs of life by crawling slowly, being revived 

 by the warmth. The observations concerning the relative abundance 

 and situations in which each kind presented itself are best mentioned in 

 the following order: 



The lesser grain borer, Rhizopertha dominica Fab. This insect was 

 the prevailing species, most of the beetles being alive but dormant. It 

 occurred most numei'ously on the outer sides of the tiers of bagged 

 rice, but was also found among the grains. 



The rust-red flour beetle, Triholiutn navale Fab. The beetles of this 

 species were associated with the former, being in a similar dormant con- 

 dition, but occurring in much less numbers. They were taken mainly 

 on the outside of bags, only a few having crawled in among the grains. 



The cadelle, Tenehroiden mauritanicns L. All specimens of this 

 species of beetle, including a larva, were collected in accumulations of 

 siftings and dust that had lodged in spaces between and beneath the 

 bags of rice. They appeared to be commonly distributed in such material, 

 most of the examples being alive and quite active. Such retreats 

 seemed to be exclusively chosen by the insect for breeding as well as 

 for concealment, since no stage of it occurred in the bagged grain. 

 Yet, in explanation of the presence of three dead larvse found later in 

 a sample of the same grain, these individuals were believed to have de- 

 veloped in a mixture of siftings which had finally been resacked and 

 replaced in the stacks. 



The Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella Oliv. Moths of this 

 species frequently fluttered and flew away from bags when they were 

 shifted for inspection. These active adults aff'orded evidence that cold 

 weather had not entirely prevented the breeding of the pest. 



The rice weevil, Calandra oryza L. The few mature weevils of this 

 species were nearly all found alive, but rather stupid. Only one ex- 

 ample, which was much undersized, could be detected on the outer side 

 of the pile of bagged rice. All others occurred among the grains. 



The flat grain beetle, Liemophlceua mimitia^ Oliv. Adult beetles of 

 this species were scarce, but most of them proved to be alive and active, 

 being found only among the grains. 



The short-horned flour beetle, Latheticus oryzse Waterh. This species 

 was not detected at first, but both adult and larval stages were found 

 later by careful examinations of the collected sample of grains. While 

 it exceeded in number that of every other species excepting Rhizopertha 

 dominica, yet not as many live stages were detected as in the case of 

 Lsemophloeus tninutus. 



The Siamese grain beetle, Lophocateres pusillus Klug. Although 



