632 P^IFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



tibial joints) of the first aad second pair of legs, the end scarcely going beyond the 

 middle of the body. Elytra with five or six rather deep longitudinal creases. The 



I # 



Tig. 20S. —Ualtica alni — Marx del.; a, larva; b, pupa. — Bridgham del. 



salient points of the body armed with piliferous warts. Abdominal tip square at the 

 end, with a stout black spine projecting from each side. Length, 6""". 



Beetle. — Uniformly deep prussian blue, with greenish reflections on the head. 

 Antennal flagellum with fine whitish pubescence ; tibiae clothed with tawny hairs. 

 Length, 5 to ()'""». 



19. Attelabus rhois Boheman. 



The singular thimble-like rolls of this weevil may be found in June 

 and July on the alder, and also occur on the hazel, according to Le 

 Conte. When about to lay her eggs, the female begins to eat a slit 

 near the base of the leaf on each side of the midrib, and at right 

 angles to it, so that the leaf may be folded together. Before beginning 

 to roll up the leaf she gnaws the stem nearly off, 

 so that after the roll is made, and has dried for 

 perhaps a day, it is easily detached by the wind 

 and falls to the ground. When folding the leaf, 

 she tightly rolls it up, neatly tucking in the ends, 

 until a compact, cylindrical solid mass of vegeta- 

 tion is formed. Before the leaf is entirely rolled 

 she deposits a single egg, rarely two, in the mid- 

 dle next to the midrib, where it lies loosely in a 

 little cavity. While all this is going on her consort stands near by, 

 and she occasionally runs to him to receive his caresses, to again 

 resume her work. These rolls remain on the bushes sometimes for 

 several days, but probably drop by the time the larva escapes from 

 the egg, and it seems probable that the grub uses the roll for a shelter 

 until it matures and is ready to enter on its transformation to a beetle. 

 From the time of egg laying to the hatching of the larva requires about 

 a week. 



Egg. — Nearly spherical, though a little longer than thick, .04 inch long and .03 

 in diameter; the chorion is thin, smooth, and very transparent. 



The beetle. — In this species the body is pubescent, the front femora are not toothed. 

 Body and limbs dull reddish, with short yellow down. Length about one-fifth inch. 



Fig. 209. -Alder leaf rolled 

 by Attelabjts rhois x 2 

 times. — Marx del. 



