INSECTS INJURIOUS TO CEREALS 



259 



small snout beetles known as the granary weevil and the 

 rice weevil. 



Both of these beetles resemble each other very closely 

 in size, shape, and general appearance. They are both 

 widely distributed in this country, although the first one, 

 C. granaria, is a more cosmopolitan species than the second. 



The granary weevil is a very old offender, for it has been 

 known as a grain weevil from the earliest times. It has 

 been an inhabitant of houses, barns, 

 and granaries so long that it has 

 actually lost the use of its wings and 

 is now strictly an indoor species. 

 It is probably present in every state 

 in the Union, for it has become 

 widely distributed by being carried 

 in the grains which it infests. It 

 is undoubtedly more abundant in 

 the warmer parts of the country, 

 where it breeds the year round. 



It is injurious to wheat, corn, 

 barley, and other grains. We have 

 found it in shredded wheat biscuits, 

 even on Pullman dining cars, where 

 one pays for the best quality of 

 foods. It sometimes finds its way into households in 

 pearl barley, which is used in soups. 



The mature beetle is about one-eighth of an inch long 

 and of a shining chestnut-brown color. It has a long 

 slender snout, or proboscis, on the end of which is a pair 

 of tiny but very efficient jaws. The thorax is marked with 

 shallow oval punctures, while the wing covers are grooved 

 and ridged lengthwise and are uniformly brown (Fig. 80). 



Fig. 80. — The granary 

 weevil. (X 17.) 



