Beetles 



297 



crawl out and into the soil to pupate. The adult beetles soon issue and 

 hunt u]) hibernating quarters. The plum-curculio attacks cherries, and 

 also peaches, nectarines, and apricots. In many regions of this country 

 it has nearly stopped the growing of plums. Curiously enough, but 

 fortunately, this pest does not seem to be able to maintain itself in California, 

 where plum (prune) growing is one of the chief industries. A remedy of 

 some etTectiveness is to jar each plum-tree, under which a sheet has been 

 spread, repeatedly during blo.ssoming and fruit-setting time. The curculios, 

 alarmed by the jarring, fold up their legs and snout and fall to the ground 

 (sheet), where they feign death. This feigning can be turned into reality 



« 



Fig. 400. — Larva and pupa of the quince-curculio, Conolrachelus cralcegi. (.\fter photo- 

 graphs by Slingerland; at left, larva, natural size and enlarged; at right, pupa much 

 enlarged.) 



by any one of various means. Excellent "curculio-catchers" consist of 

 wheelbarrows on each of which is mounted a large inverted umbrella split 

 in front to receive the tree-trunk, against which the barrow (with a padded 

 bumper) is driven with force enough to do the jarring. All fallen plums also 

 should be promptly gathered and burned or scalded so as to kill the larva; 

 within. 



The family Calandridae includes about eighty North American species 

 of weevils, of which several are common and familiar under the names of 

 corn bill-bugs and rice- and grain-weevils. To the large genus Sphenophorus 

 belong the species known as corn bill-bugs, blackish, brown, or rarely gray 

 in color, from J to i inch long, with thick and hard elytra which are 

 ridged and punctured, as is also the thorax. By day they hide in the soil 



