ENJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 



2' I! I 



practicable and are especially useful for protecting newly budded or 

 grafted trees. In some eases it is necessary to prune to prevent limbs 

 touching the ground and affording a menus of ascent. Poison sprays 

 composed of 3 or 4 pounds of neutral lead arsenate to 50 gallons of 

 water are recommended where the bands can not be used. 



THE APRICOT LEAF-WEEVIL 

 Paruptochus sellatus Boheman (Family Otiorhynchidae) 



(Fig. 293) 



Description.— The adults are uniformly dark brown in color with 

 two rather faint oblique white lines on the sides of the elytra near the 

 posterior end. In many respects they resemble miniature forms of 

 Puller's rose beetle, being about one third as large, but much darker 

 in color. Individuals vary 

 in size, but the average 

 is about jj- inch in length. 

 The snout is wide and 

 short, about as long as the 

 head. The prothorax is 

 coarsely punctured. The 

 elytra are distinctly eari- 

 nated and covered with 

 rather long, coarse hair. 

 The head is slightly nar-. 

 rower than the prothorax, 

 which is about halt* as 

 wide as the remainder of 

 the body. 



Life History.— The life 



history of this weevil is 



very imperfectly known. 



The eggs and larva 1 have 



never been observed, but 



during the last of May 



and the first of June the 



adults gather in large 



numbers upon the hosts 



and do much damage. 



They disappear during: 



the last of June. Adults 



are often observed in rather large masses clinging to one another very 



tightly. When disturbed they draw the legs and antenna' close to 



the body and will remain motionless for some time. 



Nature of Work.— The adults eat around the edges as well as holes 

 through the leaves, sometimes devouring practically all of the foliage 

 upon some shoots, especially those on the inside of the trees. Young 

 fruit is also eaten. 



Food Plants. — So far as known the apricot is the only economic 

 plant attacked, but for two years quite serious damage lias been done 

 in limited areas. It normally feeds on the coast live oak. 



Fig. 293. — The apricot leaf-weevil, Paraptochus sel- 

 latus Boh. Adults ami their work on an apricot leaf, 

 natural size. Specimens from S. II. Bssig, Ventura. 

 ( Original) 



