JOURNAL 



OF 



ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



OFFICIAL ORGAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS 



Vol. 2 DECEMBER, 1909 No. 6 



ADDITIONAL NOTES UPON THE BREEDING OF THE 

 COFFEE-BEAN WEEVIL 



{ArcBcerus fasciculatus De Geer.) 

 By E. S. Tucker, Special Field Agent, Bureau of Entomology, Washington, D. C. 



Since my paper announcing the discovery of the attacks by the cof- 

 fee-bean weevil in cornstalks was submitted for publication (27), 

 observations upon the habits and life history of the insect under 

 different conditions have been continued whenever possible, not only 

 by myself, but by other agents associated with me in the cotton boll 

 weevil investigation. 



As a possible injurious insect of a very important staple crop, as 

 noted in the case of com, the coffee-bean weevil excites special atten- 

 tion. While no direct proof of adverse effect upon the development of 

 the ears can yet be charged to this weevil, the nature of its work in at- 

 tacking green stalks places it in an apprehensive attitude that will 

 need close watching. 



The observations concerning the breeding of the species in corn- 

 stalks during the winter and spring months have proved conclusively 

 that it thrives without an interruption, although a large mortality of 

 all stages was apparently caused by cold weather. On January 25 

 Mr. R. A. Cushman, while at Alexandria, La., found the weevils in 

 all stages and their work generally occurring in old standing stalks in 

 the field of their discovery. During an examination of the same field 

 and others in the vicinity, made by myself on February 26 and 27, 

 most stalks showed abundant evidences of work by the insect, although 

 at this time the ground in all but two out of five fields on as many dif- 

 ferent plantations had been broken with middle-burster plows; and,. 



