68 



Septembor 5, 1902, Mr. Shelfcr called at this office and furnished 

 the writer with some additional information on the insect's occurrence 

 and life history. Tobacco was first set out April 8, and the beetles 

 were observed at work the following day, as a rule in pairs, attacking 

 the leaves, which soon after attack began to droop. After the mid- 

 ribs had Ijeen eaten for some time the leaves curled over, and under 

 this protection the l)eetles congregated for feeding. The Ijeetles, as 

 well as larvaj, were still in the field the first week in September. 



DESCRIPTIVE. 



The tobacco-destroying species of weevil, Tr!cJtoharis tnucorea Lee. 

 ma_v be readily separated from the potato species, T. trinotata Say, b}^ 

 its much larger size. The former will average one-fourth of an inch 

 or a little longer (5-0"""), Avhile the latter does not exceed three- 

 sixteenths of an inch, averaging about one-sixth inch or a little smaller 

 (3-4.5"""). The tol)acco species is, moreover, a little more rolmst and 

 of more unifoi-m size, and is distinguished, according to Casey, "by 

 its rather depressed upper surface and the sul)dentate area at the 

 sides of the prothorax beneath."' Also by the ""pronotum densely 

 and contluently punctate, sometimes longitudinally rugose, the sides 

 more or less fee))ly siiuiate just ])ehind apical third; tuitemial club 

 more slender and elongate, less abrupt, the outer funicular joints 

 more transverse; jironotiuu with a narrow impunctate median carina." 



In T. fr'tnotnia the pronotum is simply punctate and without an 

 impunctate and sul)carinate median line, as in imicorea, and the anten- 

 nal clul) is rol)ust and al)rupt. In a large series of specimens, such as 

 the writer has at the present writing, it is seen that there is also a 

 difference in color. All of the specimens of trinotata are darker, the 

 pubescence l»eing darker gra}' than in mueorea. There is no observa- 

 ble difl'erencein specimens collected in the field and those taken from 

 the stalks of eggplant the first week of September. In hibernated 

 individuals of tnueorea the scales are very pale, nearly white, while in 

 those which have recently issued from stalks the}^ are dull, some- 

 what 3'ellowish brown. ^' In all specimens of mucorea there is an api- 

 cal line of yellowish pubescence on the thorax, forming a collar above 

 the head. This collar is scarce!}' at all indicated in trinotata^ and the 

 color of the scales here are of the same uniform gray as of the entire 

 upper surface. 



INJURY IN FLORIDA BY A RELATED SPECIES. 



July 14, 1902, j\Ir. William M. Corry, Quincy, Fla., wrote, in response 

 to inquiry, that at various tuues in previous 3^ears — though not in 



«This difference in coloration has been noted in another species of scale-covered 

 ■\veevil, CeiitorJii/ncJms nqiie Say, Bui. 23, n. s., p. 43. 



