August, '10] riERCE : ECONOMIC WEEVILS 357 



that the planted crops will suffer from weevil depredations. In some 

 cases it is probable that the life cycle of these weevils is more than 

 one year and hence it may not seem apparent that clearing the land is 

 responsible. If the plants attacked are trees or shrubs, these weevils 

 may be easily handled by banding with some sticky substance. 



As sho-wn by the examples given and others in the literature of 

 economic entomology the draining of marshes, or clearing of timber, 

 or breaking up of meadows, or even the clearing off of under-brush 

 have given rise to weevil inroads upon cultivated crops. Moreover 

 such instances with winged as well as wingless species will be of fre- 

 quent recurrence. Mr. Fred E. Brooks has recently written me of 

 serious depredations of Antlionomus scutellatus Gj'llenhal, upon grape 

 blossoms in West Virginia, adding that from the grapes the weevils 

 went to the rose bushes nearby. Dr. Chittenden's examples show the 

 results of draining marsh lands. The breaking up of a lupine 

 meadow infested by a species of Sitones and planting of a leguminous 

 forage crop would without a doubt give rise to an attack from this 

 weevil. 



Even rotation of certain crops is dangerous. When Chalcodermiis 

 ceneiis Boheman, has been very injurious to cow-peas it is inadvisable 

 to plant cotton, for the weevils will invariably depredate upon the cot- 

 ton foliage and Dr. W. E. Hinds has demonstrated that they can 

 breed successfully in a cotton square. 



Still another important phase of the general problem we are dis- 

 cussing is the introduction of a cultivated crop into the vicinity of 

 wild plants which are nearly related. If these wild plants have im- 

 portant enemies and the new crop encroaches upon them or directly 

 or indirectly causes their eradication, the insect enemies are likely to 

 find the cultivated crop a better medium for propagation than the 

 variable wild plants. Bearing this point in mind it is not proper to 

 plant cabbages, turnips, mustard or other crucifers on ground just 

 cleared of an abundant wild crucifer. An example of what will hap- 

 pen is cited in the description of a new species of Ceutorhynchus given 

 herewith. A similar example is the danger of planting apple, quince 

 or pear orchards in the vicinity of a grove containing haw-trees 

 (Crataegus sp.). Mr. Fred E. Brooks has just published an article 

 on the insects of the apple in West Virginia in which he cites 

 Tachypterellus (Anthonomus) quadrigihhus Say and Pseudantliono- 

 mus craicegi Walsh as important apple enemies. Both of these weevils 

 and the quince weevil (ConotracJielus cratcegi Walsh) are native 

 to Crat^gus. In this connection I should expect the advent of apples 

 into Louisiana or South Texas to bring about the change of 



