PEA AND BEAN INSECTS 57 



shown that in the case of small peas, infested seed produced 

 only 13 to 20 per cent of plants which bore pods and in the 

 case of large peas 10 to 28 per cent. 



References 



Costa, Insetti, etc., pp. 133-140. 1857. 



Riley, 3rd Rept. Ins. Mo., pp. 44-50. 1871. 



Kan. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 19, pp. 193-196. 1890. 



Chittenden, U. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook for 1898, pp. 234-239. 



Fabre, Souvenirs Entomologiques, 8, pp. 23-47. 



Frank, Arb. Biol. Abt. Land. Forst. Wirths. Kais. Gesundheitsamte, 



1, pp. 86-114. 1900. 

 Fletcher, U. S. Div. Ent. Bull. 40, pp. 69-74. 1903. 



The Bean Weevil 



Bruchus ohtectus Say 



Probably the bean weevil is a native of the New World. It 

 was first described in 1831 from specimens collected in Loui- 

 siana. It first attracted attention by its injuries in 1800 in 

 Rhode Island. The insect is now widely distributed throughout 

 southern Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central iVmerica, 

 the West Indies and South America. It also occurs in the 

 Mediterranean region, Persia, Indo-China, INIadeira, the Azores 

 and the Canaries. Its favorite food plant is the common 

 kidney bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, but limas and cowpeas are 

 sometimes attacked in the field, and in storage it will also 

 attack the faba bean, peas, chick peas, lentils and the seeds of 

 Lathyrus sativus. The bean weevil is a very serious pest in the 

 South. It is not so destructive in the northern states and 

 Canada and it is from this region that a large proportion of the 

 seed beans are obtained. 



The bean weevil (Fig. 41) varies considerably in size but 

 averages about J inch in length. The general color is light 

 brownish. The wing-covers are mottled with light brown, 



