GRAIN BEETLES. 



Ii53 



Fig. 302. 



The Wheat Beetle. 



(Mafjw'Jied.) 



insects, notably tlic Red Grain Beetle. This belief is so firmly held that 



the derinestid is introduced in the «^'rain infested witli 



insects as a check on them. 



The Cheroot Beetle ^ is a small active insect, 



whose larvvB are found principally in cheroots and 



tobacco, but also in opium, saffron, ging-er, etc. It 



is closely allied to a similar insect now almost 



cosmopolitan, which attacks tobacco in all its forms 



elsewhere. 



The two Red Grain Beetles ^ are very common 



in India, feeding- upon grain, biscuits, and having 



a great liking' for dried insects. Both are cosmo- 

 politan and they are disting-uishable only with 



some care. 



The Areca Nut Weevil '^ is a widely 

 spread insect which attacks the areca nuts 

 and is also a common insect in old dry 

 cotton bolls ; its larvae live in the seeds of 

 old cotton bolls left on the plants, and 

 immense numbers can be bred from them. 

 Probably the insect has many other foods. 

 Finally, the notorious "Cask Weevil ^^ may 

 be mentioned, a species found to attack 

 beer casks in India, not from a taste for 

 the contents but for the wood which is its 



natural food. This species is the Sugarcane 

 Fig. 303. 

 I'he Biscuit Beetle. 



Weevil * of the West Indies, 

 an insect attacking diseased 

 canes and at one time be- 

 lieved to do much harm. 



In addition to the above 

 species, there is a distinct 

 family which attacks pulse. 

 These beetles lay their egg's 

 on the dried pulse, small 

 yellow eggs very closely 

 resemblinii" eerlain scale 



The S,f> 



' Lasiodermo lestacenm. Daft. ( Ptinid;L'.) 

 2 Triholium ferni<jineH'm. F. and T. 

 Confustim. D\v. (Tenebrioniiiie.) 



Fig. 304-. 

 Toiilheil G raiti Beetle. Larva in the middle ; 

 pit pa OH the r if/hi. {Mai/nifted.) 



5 ArcEcertis fasciciilatiis. De^. (Antliribida'.) 

 * Xylehurtis perforcins. Woll. (Scol.vtklio.) 



