U. R. D. A.. R. K. Pni. fi4, I'art IV. Issnerl .Tanuary 14, 1!)08. 



SOME MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS OE THE WORK 

 OF THE BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY-LX. 



AN INJURIOUS NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF APION, WITH 

 NOTES ON RELATED FORMS. 



By F. H. Chittenden, 

 Entomologist in Charge of Breeding Experiments. 



In economic works of European authors a very considerable number 

 of species of Apion are mentioned in connection with injuries to cul- 

 tivated plants, and particular!}^ to the Papilionacese, for which a 

 large proportion of species show a preference. Certain European 

 forms are sufficiently abundant to receive common English names, 

 among which are the clover weevil, the Dutch-clover yellow-legged 

 weevil, the cinquefoil weevil, the tare or vetch weevil, and others, 

 the popular name being indicative of each insect's food habits. 



None of our native species, so far as known to the writer, has hith- 

 erto been recorded as injuring useful plants; hence a note received 

 from Mr. James K. Metcalfe, Silver City, X. Mex., of injuries to for- 

 age plants by Apion grhevm Sm. is of interest. 



APION GBISEUM Sm. 



September 25, 1899, our correspondent sent seedpods of the ^let- 

 calf e bean {Phdseohis retvsua)^ together with specimens of the beetle. 

 This weevil was stated to be \&cy destructive to this plant, which lias 

 been mentioned by Dr. Jared G. Smith as one of the most promising 

 of our native forage ]ilants." The weevil was said to be also destruc- 

 tive to the "Raphael" bean {Phascolus wnghtii)^ and we have 

 received the same species from Phaseolus beans from Tolima. Mexico. 



This species has also been observed by the writer to develop in the 

 seedpods of a wild bean, PJuLscohis polystachyus (perenn/x). Eight- 

 een individuals were found on opening a pod of this plant at Ross- 

 lyn, Va.. April 22. One seed had harbored eleven Apions, all of 

 which perished owing to their inability to escape from the pod, 



" Yearbook, U. S. Department of Agriculture, for 1897, p. r^X!. 



29 



