1234 FAMITA' LIV. BKUCIIID.K. 



In addition to the characters mentioned the J5riichida' have the 

 nientnm transverse, more or less emarji^inate in front, its base sup- 

 ported by a pednncle; maxiUaiy paliti four-jointed, the terminal 

 joint slightly oval ; head free, usually deflexed ; eyes large, more or 

 less emarginate in front; antenna^ 11 -jointed, dentate or pectinate, 

 inserted at the side of the head in front of the eyes; thorax mar- 

 gined at the sides; elytra entire or truncate, p^:i?idium always ex- 

 posed; front coxtV oval, moderately prominent, the cavities closed 

 behind; hind coxa' transverse, nai-rowly separated; abdomen with 

 five free ventral segments; frcnt and middle legs of moderate 

 length, their femora not dilateti ; Siind femora usually dilated and 

 often toothed ; tarsi Avith the first joint elongate and with ttie two 

 following densely clothed l)encath with spongy i)ubesccnce, the 

 third joint deeply bilobed; tarsal claws usually broadly toothed at 

 base. 



The larva^ of these weevils live in tln^ seeds of leguminous plants, 

 especially those of peas and beans, to which at times they cause 

 great injury. The eggs of the pea-Avecwil are laid upon the pod 

 Nvhile the peas are (jiiite small, and when hatched the young ])ore 

 through the pod into the young peas and spend most of their lives 

 within the latter. Every i)erson Avho eats peas in cpiantity has 

 doubtless swallowed hundreds of these small worms, but "where 

 ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to l)e wise." The larva, before trans- 

 forming, eats a circular h.ole on one side of the pea, lea\ing only a 

 thin scale, which is easily i)ushed away l)y the mature beetle. The 

 latter usually remains in the pea until spring and is often planted. 

 The seed peas should l)e phiced in water and those which float 

 picked out and destroyed; or the peas should be placed in a close 

 receptacle and exposed for a few hours to a small (juantity of car- 

 bon-bisulphide. 



The principal ];)aper treating of the N«n'th Anu'rican species of 

 the family is b\' 



Horn. — -"Revision oT the Bruchid;e of the United States," i)i 

 Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, IV, 1878, 311-3-12. 



In this paper 55 species are recognized and disti'ibuted among 

 three genera; while one genus and about half a dozen species have 

 since been described. 



KEY TO INDIANA GENERA OF BRUCHID^E. 



(I. Hind tihi.-i' with two slender .iointed spnrs; front coxje entirely sep- 

 arated l>,y the prosternnm ; size larger, 7-8 mm. I. Spermophagus. 

 aa. Hind tibi.'p withont jointed spnrs ; front coxtie very prominent, con- 

 tiguous ; smaller, not over 5 mm. II. Bkuchus. 



