78 



ORCHARD AND HOPS. 



Clay-coloured Weevil. Otiorhynchns picipes. Fab. 

 Red-legged Weevil. O. teiiebrkosus, Herbst. 



OxiouuYNcuus riciPEs and O. sdlcatus. — 1-4, 0. sulcatus, maggot and pupa, 

 natural size and magnified, or with lines showing natural length ; 5, O. picipes. 



The great injuries and losses caused by Otiorhynchus weevils have 

 been referred to so often under the headings of the different kinds of 

 fruit crops to which they are injurious, that it would hardly seem worth 

 while to notice them again, excepting that, besides inquiry being sent 

 as to the life-history of the Clay-coloured Weevil [0. picipes) and 

 means of stopping its depredations on Apple, Plum, and Gooseberry, 

 notes were sent from two inquirers regarding this kind as doing 

 serious mischief in Hop grounds. 



This beetle, figured above, life size, at "5," is about a third of 

 an inch in length, wingless, yellowish or reddish brown or testaceous 

 in colour, and mottled with patches of brown or 

 grey scale, so that when only slightly magnified it 

 has almost the appearance of clay adhering to it, 

 whence its common name of the " Clay-coloured 

 Weevil." 



The maggots are legless, whitish, fleshy, and 

 somewhat hairy (see figure, after Curtis, accompany- 

 ing), with yellow or ochrey heads and jaws. They 

 may be found in the ground by the plants on which 

 the beetle feeds from about August till spring, when, 

 about April, they turn to chrysalids (see figure, 

 magnified). The depth at which they are to be 

 found appears possibly to vary with the nature of the 

 ground, but to be generally not far from the surface; 

 and the chrysalids are very like the beetles in shape, 

 but whitish or yellowish in colour, with the forming 

 limbs folded beneath them (as figured), and without power of move- 

 ment until the complete development to beetle state takes place, 



0. picipes^. — Larva, 

 nat. size ; pupa, 

 nat. size and 

 magnified. 



