NUT WEEVIL. 117 



which is a third or more of the length of the beetle, is fine, 

 arched in shape, and of a bright chestnut colour, with one of 

 the pair of elbowed antennae on each side, and furnished at 

 the extremity with jaws. The colours are very variable, but 

 the great length of the proboscis is a marked distinction. 



These beetles, or weevils, may be seen about the Nut bushes 

 early in the summer, the females usually creeping along the 

 twigs, the males often on the wing. Whilst the Nuts are 

 still young the female pierces a hole through the soft shell 

 by means of the jaws with which she is furnished at the end 

 of her long snout. In this hole she lays one egg, which 

 hatches in about ten days. The maggot feeds inside the 

 Nut, consuming a large part of the kernel. When full-grown 

 it is of the shape and size figured at p. 116, fat, fleshy, and 

 cylindrical, slightly attenuated in front, and curved under at 

 the tail extremity ; of an ochreous white, with round horny 

 chestnut-coloured head, furnished with strong black jaws ; 

 without legs, but supplied with muscles inside the large 

 transverse folds or wrinkles, which enable it to draw itself 

 through the earth. 



When full-fed the maggot eats a hole through the Nut 

 shell, sometimes whilst the Nut is on the bush, sometimes 

 after it has fallen to the ground in the premature ripening 

 which appears to follow on the maggot-attack. It then buries 

 itself, forms a cell in the earth, and " frequently rests there 

 during the winter, and only changes in the following spring 

 or later " to a pupa or chrysalis of whitish colour, like the 

 future weevil in shape, but lying quiescent with its limbs 

 folded against it. 



The weevils may be found as early as May, at which time 

 development from the chrysalis has been recorded, but it is 

 stated that some of these beetles do not develop till July or 

 August, and it is still open to observation whether some of 

 these do not hybernate and appear with those newly out of 

 the chrysalis in the following May. 



Prevention and Eemedies. — Very few observations have 

 been contributed with regard to this attack, or means of 

 prevention and remedy ; but one regular method of treatment 

 which has been recommended when weevils are abundant on 

 Nut bushes, is to heat them down, but this should not be done 

 on a sunny day, or they will speedily take flight and escape ; 

 and (saving for treatment of a bush or two) probably the only 

 way to carry out the plan of beating serviceably would be 

 either to put tarred boards, or for one man to throw a 

 sprinkling of quick-lime or gas-lime under the Filbert trees 

 whilst his companion beats down the weevils. 



