COLEOPTERA. 73 



arc the insects properly called grain-weevils, belonging to the 

 old genus Calandra. These insects must not be confounded 

 witli the still more destructive larva; of the corn-moth ( Tinea 

 granella)., which also attacks stored grain, nor with the orange- 

 colored maggots of the wheat^fly {Cecidomyia Tritici), which 

 are found in the ears of growing wheat. Although the grain- 

 weevils are not actually injurious to vegetation, yet as the 

 name properly belonging to them has often been misapplied 

 in this country, thereby creating no little confusion, some 

 remarks upon them may tend to prevent future mistakes. 



The true gi-ain-weevil or wheat-weevil of Europe, Calandra 

 ( Sitophilus) g-ranaria, or Cnrcidio granarius of Linnaeus, in its 

 perfected state is a slender beetle of a pitchy red color, about 

 one eighth of an inch long, with a slender snout slightly bent 

 downwards, a coarsely punctured and very long thorax, con- 

 stituting almost one half the length of the whole body, and 

 wing-covers that are furrowed and do not entirely cover the 

 tip of the abdomen. This little insect, both in the beetle and 

 grub state, devours stored wheat and other grains, and often 

 commits much havoc in granaries and brewhouses. Its powers 

 of multiplication are very great, for it is stated that a single 

 pan- of these destroyers may produce above six thousand de- 

 scendants in one year. The female deposits her eggs upon 

 the wheat after it is housed, and the young grubs hatched 

 therefrom immediately burrow into the wheat, each individual 

 occupying alone a single grain, the substance of which it 

 devours, so as often to leave nothing but the hull ; and this 

 destruction goes on within, while no external appearance leads 

 to its discovery, and the loss of weight is the only evidence of 

 the mischief that has been done to the grain. In due time the 

 grubs undergo their transformations, and come out of the hulls, 

 in the beetle state, to lay theii- eggs for another brood. These 

 insects are eflfectually destroyed by kiln-drying the wheat ; and 

 grain, that is kept cool, well ventilated, and is frequently moved, 

 is said to be exempt from attack. 



Rice is attacked by an insect closely resembling the wheat- 

 weevil, from which, however, it is distinguished by having two 

 large red spots on each wing-cover; it is also somewhat smaller, 

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