FAMILY CURCULIONIDAE 



447 



Beetle.— Has the regular weevil shape. On first emerging from the pupal slate it is red in 

 colour, but soon changes to a dark red-brown. The whole surface is covered with small 



punctures. The proboscis is curved and about one-sixteenth of an inch 

 Description. long. The antennae are elbowed, and spring from near the base of 



proboscis. Thorax covered with punctures, irregularly scattered. 

 The tibiae of the legs are ribbed and bear a hooped spine, and the punctures are in longitudinal 

 rows. The elytra do not quite cover the alxlomen, and have Ijroadly rounded ends. They are 

 ribbed, and the punctures are arranged in longitudinal rows, about fourteen rows on each 

 elytron. The elytra are about half the length of the body. Length, j% in. exclusive of 

 proboscis ; proboscis slightly over r\ in. In fig. 294, a, a', b, c, show the larva, pupa, and imago 

 of this weevil, and also an attacked acorn. 



Larva.— A small, white, short, stunted, legless grub, almost as broad in the centre as 

 long, with a small pale-brown head. Lengtn, ^^ in. 



Pupa.— White, of usual weevil type, and alxnit same length as kirva. 



This weevil first begins to emerge from the acorns about the middle of 



June, and continues to do so until the end of the month. 



Life History. Mr. B. O. Coventry, I.F.S., who first studied its 



life history, is of opinion that it probably immediately 



lays eggs in the young new acorns from the preceding year's flowers, which 



are present on the trees 



at the time of emer- 

 gence of the insect, 



and that a second 



generation of the 



weevil appears in the 



autumn. This may 



prove to be the case, 



since the acorns ripen 



between August and 



October, but remain 



in the tree through 



the ensuing winter. 



The pupal stage in the 



spring only lasts a few 



days. 



The eggs are evi- 

 dently laid on the 



acorns, the weevil not 



improbably drilling a 



hole into the fruit 



with its proboscis and 



placing them in it. As 



many as six or seven 



beetles have been ob- 

 tained from one nut. 



jf^ 



X6 



X6 



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xz 



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<6 



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Fid. 294. 

 /', beetle : 



— Calandra sctilptitrata, Gyll. a^ larva ; a , pupa ; 

 c, attacked acorn. Mussoorie, North-West Himalaya. 



