CLAY-COLOURED WEEVIL. 211 



The two kinds of weevils figured at p. 210 have an enor- 

 mous capacity for doing mischief by feeding in beetle state on 

 leaves and shoots, or even fruit above ground, and in larval 

 state feeding on the roots of the same kinds of plants ; but of 

 these the Black Vine Weevil only needs a slight mention here, 

 as, though sometimes injurious to Strawberries, it is chiefly 

 known for its injuries to Vines, and sometimes to Peaches ; 

 likewise for its injurious attacks in collections grown by florists 

 of Primulas, Saxifrages, or other low-growing plants, and 

 (very especially) to Maidenhair Ferns. The beetle (figured 

 at p. 210, magnified) is a little over four and sometimes five 

 lines in length, and is of a dull black, with a short snout or 

 proboscis ; the body between the head and the abdomen is 

 granulated, and the wing-cases are rough, with several raised 

 lines, and spotted with pale hairy tufts, and, like the other 

 species of Otiorhynchus, it has no ivimis. 



0. jiicipes, or the " Clay-coloured Weevil," is sometimes a 

 general trouble; during this year (1898) it has been especially 

 reported to me as doing harm to Apple, Plum, Piaspberry, 

 Gooseberry, and Hop ; previously (with specimens of injury 

 caused by its attack also sent) to Damson, Cob Nut, 

 Piaspberry, and Strawberry. It differs from the "Vine 

 AVeevil" in being rather smaller, from three to three and a 

 quarter lines in length, and is of a brown or testaceous colour, 

 mottled with patches of brown or grey scales, so that when 

 only slightly magnified it looks of a mottled clay colour. 



The habit of life of the above-mentioned weevils is to lay 

 their eggs a little below the surface of the ground ; from these 

 eggs there hatch legless, whitish, fleshy, and somewhat hairy 

 maggots (see figure, p. 210), with yellow or ochrey heads and 

 jaws, by means of which they do great damage to the roots of 

 the plants on which they feed. 



The maggots may be found in the ground, as in Vine 

 borders, or at the roots of Easpberries for instance, from 

 xlugust onwards, and in the spring — that is, about April — 

 they turn to chrysalids in the ground not far from the surface, 

 the depth probably varying with the kind of soil. From these 

 chrysalids, which much resemble the beetles in shape, but 

 have the limbs folded beneath them, and are whitish or 

 yellowish, and without power of movement until fully deve- 

 loped into weevils, change to this state soon takes place. 



The following communications give some idea of the severe 

 injury caused by the attacks of 0. incipcs to Easpberry canes. 

 The first was sent me by Mr. Arthur Beale, from Covent 

 Garden Market : — "I enclose herewith some specimens of a 

 beetle that does considerable damage to Easpberry cane, in 

 some instances completely killing the plant by biting out the 



p2 



