ICXD 



INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETABLES 



feeding weevils found in this country, measuring about a fifth 

 of an inch in length. Its ground color is black, but it is thickly 

 covered with brown pubescence, variegated with black and 

 white markings arranged as illustrated in figure 57, a. 



In 1748 the celebrated Swedish naturalist Pehr 

 Kalm gave an account of this weevil, stating 

 that the culture of the pea had been abandoned in 

 Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and southern New 

 York on account of it. 

 There are reasons for believing that this species came orig- 

 inally, with so many other injurious insects which live upon 

 cultivated seeds, from the Orient, and it has now become dis- 

 tributed over nearly the entire globe, wherever peas are culti- 

 vated. It does comparatively little damage in the colder parts 

 of Canada; hence, seed peas for planting in the United States 

 are largely imported from Canada or are bought from seed 

 dealers who obtain them from our more northern states. 



Fig. 56. -A 

 buggy pea 



Fig. 57.— Pea weevil, a. Adult beetle; b. larva; c. pupa. All greatly enlarged 

 (Author's illustration, U. S. Dept. Agr.) 



Nature of injury. — Every pea in a pod is sometimes infested 

 with this weevil ; and although nearly every one is familiar with 

 "buggy" peas, it is not generally known that in eating green 

 peas we often eat also a "worm" with nearly every pea. The 

 only external evidence of infestation in a green pea is a minute 



