266 



FAMILY CURCULIONIDiE. 



(Weevils.) 



(Plate 34, 11.) 



I. 



The head is prolonged into a rostrum or snout. 

 This varies in length and thickness, and so weevils 

 can be very generally divided into two groups: — 



A. Long snouted weevils (Plate 34, Fig. 7). 



B. Short snouted weevils (Plate 34, Fig. 8). 



The apex of the beak is more or less expanded to 

 allow of the inclusion of a pair of strong jaws by 

 means of which the insect bores into wood, grain, etc. 

 The female is said to use the rostrum to bore a hole ; 

 it then places an egg in it and uses the rostrum 

 to push the egg further back into the hole. The 

 antennae (Plate 34, Fig. 9) are fixed on to the 

 rostrum, sometimes near the base, sometimes 

 nearly in the centre. An antenna consists of a large 

 base joint much elongated, called the scape, and an 

 upper many- jointed part which is placed at an angle 

 to the scape ; thus it is elbowed. The integument is 

 very hard, and the elytra curve over the sides and fit 

 on to the body like armour plate. Many of the weevils 

 have knobs and projections which make them look 

 like the rough bark on which these species are found : 



