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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
FARMERS’ 
BULLETIN 
Wasuincton, D. C. TAl Juny 17, 1916 
Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology, L. O. Howard, Chief. 
THE ALFALFA WEEVIL AND METHODS OF CON- 
TROLLING IT.’ 
By Geo. I. Reeves and Puiu B. Mites, Entomological Assistants, and THomaAs 
R. CHAMBERLIN, STERLING J. SNow, and LurHer J. Bower, Scientific Assistants, 
Cereal and Forage Insect Investigations. 
INTRODUCTION. 
The alfalfa weevil destroys a great deal of alfalfa in northern Utah 
and southern Idaho. It also inhabits southwestern Wyoming and 
is spreading slowly to new terri- 
tory im all directions. It may in 
time infest most of the United 
States. The adult (fig. 1), a 
small brown snout-beetle, and 
the larva (fig. 2), a green, worm- 
like creature, usually escape no- 
tice during the first two or three 
years that they are present in a 
locality, but as soon as they be- 
come numerous enough to do 
harm they are readily found, 
and their effect upon the appear- 
ance of the fields is conspicuous. 
Vigorous treatment is then nec- Fic. 1—The alfalfa weevil: Adult. Enlarged. 
essary to prevent partial or total * pole 
destruction of the first and second crops. The purpose of this bulletin 
is to show how serious the attack is to the farmer, how much territory 
it embraces and how it spreads, and to describe the insect, its work, 
and the methods which are effective in dealing with it. 
1 Phytonomus posticus Gyll.; order Coleoptera, family Curculionidae. 
NotE.—This bulletin describes the work and spread of the most dreaded pest of alfalfa in the United 
States. It is of interest in the region west of the Mississippi River, particularly Utah and the adjacent 
States. 
39320°—Bull. 741—16 1 
