TAMARIND POD-BORER, SITOPHILUS LINEARIS 



(HERBST) 1 



By Richard T. Cotton, Scientific Assistant, Stored-Product Insect Investigations, 

 Bureau of Entomology, United States Department of Agriculture 



The literature of North American entomology contains occasional ref- 

 erence to the curculionid beetle, Sitophilus linearis (Herbst), but nothing 

 definite has been published regarding the biology of this interesting weevil 

 or the extent of its distribution in the United States. 



HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION 



The tamarind pod-borer was described in 1797 by Herbst under the 

 name of Rhynchophorus linearis. The specimens described were ob- 

 tained from the West Indies, where the weevil had been introduced with 

 its food plant, the tamarind. It undoubtedly is native to India but has 

 now spread to all places where the tamarind is grown. In 181 5 it was 

 described by Thunberg as the variety striata, and again in 1834 by 

 Christy under the name of Calandra tamarindi, and finally in 1837 by 

 Dejean under the specific name of frugilega. All of these later names 

 have since been reduced to synonymy. 



In 1 892 Casey 2 noted the occurrence of Sitophilus linearis in North 

 America, but in 1895 Chittenden 3 stated that in his opinion 5. linearis 

 should not be inserted in our faunal list until it could be ascer- 

 tained that the species actually bred in some plant within our faunal 

 limits. Up to the present time all records of its occurrence in the United 

 vStates refer to occasional specimens picked up in the southern Atlantic 

 and Gulf States which had undoubtedly been imported in shipments of 

 tamarind pods. The writer has found it to be exceedingly abundant in 

 southern Florida where the tamarind is now grown; therefore there is no 

 longer any doubt that it is well established within our faunal limits. 



In 1916 A. H. Ritchie 4 recorded this species as causing considerable 

 damage to the pods of the tamarind in Jamaica, and T. B. Fletcher 5 

 has recorded similar damage in India. 



1 The writer was enabled to make a study of this species through the courtesy of the Federal Horticultural 

 Board, whose representative, Mr. O. K. Courtney, intercepted at the port of New Orleans a shipment ol 

 infested tamarind pods from Guatemala, which was forwarded for study to the division of Stored-Product 

 Insect Investigations of the Bureau of Entomology. The writer wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness 

 to Dr. Adam G. BSving, of the Bureau of Entomology, for his valuable aid and advice in the study of the 

 larval characters of this weevil. 



2 Casey, Thos. L. coleopterological notices iv. In Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sei., v. 6, 1891-92, p. 359-71;. 

 1892. [Calandra linearis, p. 686.] 



'Chittenden, F. H. on the distribution of certain imported beetles. In Insect Life, v. 7, no. 

 4, p. 326-332. 1895- 



4 Ritchie, Archibald H. report of entomologist for year 1915-1916. In Ann. Rpt. Dept. Agr. 

 Jamaica [1915] 16, p. 31-34. 1916. 



5 Fletcher, T. Bainbrigge. one hundred notes on indian insects. In Agr. Research Inst. Pusa 

 Bui. 59 39 p., 20 fig. 1916. Weevils in tamarind fruits, p. 10. 



Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. XX, No. 6 



Washington, D. C Dec. 15, 1920 



wb Key No. K-89 



(439) 



