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Forty-sixth Report on the State Museum 



small, cordiform, with two minute articulated spines on each side, a 

 little behind the middle, a median longitudinal groove, one lateral 

 punctured notch, and two terminal small, suddenly turned-up hooks." 

 A figure is also given of the " pygidium of Tenebrio," presumably of 

 T, obscurus, which would seem to imperfectly illustrate the text, unless 

 for "punctured notch" we read "punctured spot." The two terminal 

 hooks, according to Westwood, distinguish the larva of this species 

 from that of T. molitor (see Westwood, loc. cit.). 



The beetle, described in general terms, which 

 should suffice for its recognition when taken in 

 connection with its figure herewith given, is over 

 a half inch in length, narrow, of a dull, opaque, 

 black color above, with the underside, the 

 feet and antennae chestnut-brown. The tho- 

 rax is subquadrate. The elytra, or wing-covers, 

 are closely punctured with sixteen depressed 

 Fig. 5.— The meal worm, longitudinal liiies, the intervals of which 

 ?a?vaXpupl: Ttaiago; are angulated. The legs are stout; the hinder 

 d,- antenna of .larva: e, fgg^ .^^.^ f our-iointed — the Others are five- 



maxilla; /, labrum; gr, it;et aie 

 terminal segment. (From • • , -\ 



RUey.) ]omted. 



Its Habits. 

 The name of the "American meal-worm" has been given to this insect 

 to distinguish it from a closely resembling species, Tenebrio molitor, 

 which has been introduced from Europe and has become much more 

 common with us than the native one. It is the more injurious of the 

 two, as it i^refers for its food dry and sound flour, while T. molitor is 

 more frequently found in that which has become damp or otherwise 

 damaged. T. obscurus is said to feed sometimes on animal matter. 

 Both of the species infest granaries, mills, and farm houses, and are 

 justly regarded as very troublesome pests when they have gained a 

 lodgment, it being a difficult task to exterminate them. 



Remedy. 

 The best remedy for this, as for most of the other stored grain 

 insects, as Silvanus Surinamensis (Linn.), S. cassice Reiche, /S. advena 

 (Waltb.), Calandragranaria{hm\x.), C. ory zee {hmu..), C.remotepimcta 

 Gyll., Tribolium ferrugineum (Fabr.), Sitotroga cerealella (Oliv.), 

 and others, is found in the use of bisulphide of carbon. The infested 

 grain should be inclosed in a tight bin, and for each one hundred pounds, 

 one ounce of the bisulphide of carbon may be placed in any convenient 

 open vessel on top of the grain. It need not be inserted therein, as 



