1906 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 117 



hinder part of the thorax, and the two black spots mentioned above, which 

 are present on the exposed tip of the abdomen of the Pea Weevil. 



''The life-history of the Bean Weevil differs in some important points 

 from that of the Pea Weevil. The eggs of both are laid upon the pods while 

 these are young and tender. On hatching, the young grub of the Bean Wee- 

 vil eats its way inside and penetrates one of the forming beans, several grubs 

 entering a single bean, each one forming for itself a distinct cell. They be- 

 come full-grown, and change to pupae in the autumn, and a little later to 

 the perfect beetles. The date of emergence from the seed depends very 

 much, as in the case of the Pea Weevil, on the temperature in the autumn 

 months;. it may be in the late autumn or not until next spring; when the 

 seed beans are stored in a warm building, the beetles may emerge at any 

 time through the winter. One of the important differences between the 

 life-histories of the Pea and Bean Weevils is that, whereas in the case of the 

 former the young grubs can only enter the soft green seeds, those of the 

 Bean Weevil can propagate for three or four generations in the dry stored 

 seeds. Tnis fact renders the well-known domestic remedy for the Pea Wee- 

 vil, of holding the seed over for two years, quite ineffective in the case of the 

 Bean Weevil; that is, if the bag of peas infested with the Pea^ Weevil were 

 put away for two years, the Pea Weevils would emerge the first spring and 

 die in the bags. But in the case of a bag of beans infested by the Bean 

 Weevil kept in the same way, the beetles on emerging would at once set 

 to work to lay eggs on the beans. The young grubs when hatched would pene- 

 trate the dry seeds and go through all their stages, and this breeding might 

 be repeated as long as the supply of beans lasted. Curiously enough, the 

 Pea Weevil does not bore holes through the paper or cotton bags in which 

 infested seed has been stored, but in the case of th^ Bean Weevil, such bags 

 are readily perforated and the beetles escape, — frequently when this happens 

 in houses, as is sometimes the case, to the great consternation of the inhabi- 

 tants." (Fletcher, Bull. 52, Cent. Exp. Farm, Ottawa.) 



In the United States the Bean Weevil has been known for a great many 

 years. It was found injuring beans in America in 1860, near Providence, 

 Rhode Island. Since then it has become wide-spread in distribution in that 

 country, and has done a considerable amount of damage. At first it was 

 considered to be a native species, but it is now thought that the original 

 home of the insect was in Asia, and that it was introduced into America 

 through commerce. The first record of injury done by the Bean Weevil 

 in Canada was in 1898, in Middlesex County, Ontario, and since then two 

 further instances of loss from the ravages of this insect have been reported 

 from Quebec Province. Quite recently the writer heard of the presence of 

 the Bean Weevil at Guelph, Ont., in beans imported for seed from the 

 United States. (It has also been reported from Aurora, Ont.-— C.J.S.B.) 



The Bean Weevil shown herewith is only about half the size of the Pea 

 Weevil, but resembles it in general appearance. The best remedy for both 

 of these insects is bisulphide of carbon. The most convenient way to fumi- 

 gate is to place the seed in an ordinary coal-oil barrel, and pour on it one 

 ounce of the bisulphide of carbon for every 100 lbs. of grain, then close the 

 barrel tightly, first with a wet canvas or cloth, and on the top of this boards, 

 which should be left undisturbed for at least two days. 



