SB 
818 
C576 
ENT 
1 NO. 18, SECOND SERIES. (REVISION OF NO. 14.) 
mited States Department of Agriculture, 
DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. 
THE MEXICAN COTTON-BOLL WEEVIL. 
(Anthonomus grandis Boh.) 
SCOPE OF THE CIRCULAR. 
Cireular No. 6 was published in April, 1895, and contained a brief 
report of the observations made up to that time, and the conclusions 
based on those observations, concerning the Mexican cotton-boll weevil, 
an insect of Central American origin which, during 1894, attracted con- 
siderable attention in the cotton fields of south Texas. The investiga- 
tion was continued 
during the summer, 
fall, and early winter 
of 1895, especially by 
Mr. Schwarz, who 
visited Texas in May 
and June and again 
from October to De- 
cember, and by Mr. 
Townsend, who was 
stationed in the State 
during the greater 
part of the summer. 
The writer went to 
Texas in December, 
and in company with 
Mr. Schwarz carefully 
studied the condition 
of affairs at that season and talked with many prominent cotton grow- 
ers. The results of these supplementary investigations were published 
in Circular No. 14, which was issued both in English and in Spanish. 
During 1896 still other investigations were made by the gentlemen 
mentioned and by Mr. C. L. Marlatt, who studied especially the ques- 
tion of remedies, and the results obtained necessitate the publication of 
still another circular on the subject. In this circular all of the essential 
points of the previous circulars have been repeated, the section on 
remedies has been entirely rewritten, and a paragraph has been added 
on the work of the weevil during 1896. 
Fia. 1.—Anthonomus grandis: a, adult beetle; b, pupa: ec, larva—all 
enlarged. 
GENERAL APPEARANCE AND METHOD OF WORK. 
This insect is a small, grayish weevil, of the shape and general 
appearance shown in fig. 1, @, and measuring a little less than a quar- 
ter of an inch in length. It is found in the cotton fields throughout 
the season, puncturing and laying its eggs in the squares and _ bolls. 
The larve, of the shape and appearance shown at fig. 1, ¢, and measur- 
ing a little over three-eighths of an inch in length when full grown 
