SOUTH AFRICAN BEAN-SEED BEETLE. 9 
connection with the great injury caused by it to Bean-seed in South 
Africa, I append some extracts from my paper on it given in my ‘Notes 
on some Injurious Insects of South Africa.’ * 
My observations were taken from specimens forwarded to me from 
Port Elizabeth, South Africa, including the weevil in all its stages, 
together with injured Beans, which, in some instances, contained the 
beetle fully or partially developed. 
At the time, we were not able to identify the species of Bruchus 
with certainty, and therefore merely noted it as much resembling the 
B. subarmatus, Gyll. Subsequently, in the course of much corre- 
spondence on identification of Bean-seed Beetles between Dr. J. A. 
Lintner, Mr. Janson, and myself, it appeared, from type specimens 
submitted for comparison with our South African kind to Mr. Janson, 
that these were, without doubt, the B. obsoletus, Say, known also as 
the B. faba, Riley, and now, after much consideration of which of its 
various synonyms should be accepted as the authorized name, distin- 
guished as the B. obtectus, Say.t 
The localities of the species are Central and South America, 
Madeira, Canaries, Azores, Mediterranean basin, Persia, &c. Carried 
by commerce it is probably cosmopolite. 
The full description by Mr. Janson is given at length in my South 
African notes, but the following note is sufficient here :—‘‘ Compared 
with our well-known Bean-seed Beetle (Bb. rujimanus, Boh.), it is 
smaller, rather more depressed above, has a narrower thorax, without 
teeth at the sides, and has the posterior femora furnished with a small 
acute tooth near the apex; the colour of the middle and hind legs and 
markings on the elytra are also different.’”” For these see description 
at pp. 7-8, which, as we do not need two of the same beetle, I have 
selected for insertion rather than that in my own publication. 
In regard to the amount and method of the infestation of the South 
African Bean-seed Beetles, I found in two of the Beans four holes 
where beetles had escaped, in another seven beetles had been present, 
and in another five beetles, or coloured chrysalids, were still within. 
But,it was mentioned by Mr. 8. D. Bairstow, of Port Elizabeth, from 
whom I received them, that ‘this pest when in larval condition reduces 
the interior of the seed to a fine powder’’; and the ruinous nature of 
the infestation was thoroughly proved by the condition of the Beans 
sent, which ranged from presence of four, five, or seven beetle-perfora- 
tions up to the Bean being completely crumbled to pieces. 
* «Notes and Descriptions of a few Injurious Farm and Fruit Insects of South 
Africa,’ compiled by Eleanor A. Ormerod, Consulting Entomologist of the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England; with descriptions and identifications of the 
insects by Oliver E. Janson, F.E.S. 1889. 
+ See ‘Insect Life,’ vol. vii., No. 5, p. 419. Washington, 1895. 
