260 HOUSEHOLD INSECTS 



The female weevil gnaws a tiny hole in a kernel of wheat 

 or corn and then deposits an egg in it. The egg hatches 

 and the small white grub lives inside the kernel, eating out 

 the dry inner portions. In a kernel of corn there may be 

 several individuals, but in a grain of wheat or barley there 

 is room for but one. The larva is short, fleshy, and 

 footless. When the larva becomes full-grown it changes 

 to a white pupa with the proboscis, legs, wing pads, and 

 antennae plainly developed. 



The whole life cycle may be passed under favorable 

 conditions in about six weeks, but the period will vary with 

 the temperature and time of year. In the fall and winter 

 it is liable to be greatly prolonged. Under favorable 

 conditions there may be three or four broods in New York 

 in a season, but in the extreme South there may be six 

 or more. If the infested grain is kept in a well-heated 

 room, the weevils may breed all the season through. It is 

 said that the granary weevil is very prolific, with the egg- 

 laying extending over a long time and many eggs being 

 deposited. It has been estimated that a single pair of 

 weevils may, in a year, give rise to 6000 descendants. 

 Thus a pair of these insects with their progeny may cause 

 a good deal of damage in a comparatively short time. 



The mature weevils have the habit of feeding on the 

 grain, gnawing into the kernels for food and shelter, 

 and since they are long-lived insects, they probably cause 

 as much injury as the larvse. 



A curious, interesting, and perhaps important bit of 

 knowledge concerning this insect is the fact that it has 

 been used successfully as a substitute for the Spanish 

 blister-beetle (Cantharides) with this added advantage, 

 that it does not produce strangury. It was apparently 



