9 



Every intelligent planter in the weevil-infested area should l)e able 

 to determine the presence of the pest by its appearance and the evi- 

 dences of its work; but planters who have never seen it nia}^ often be 

 in doubt as to whether some insect found damaging the crop is the boll 

 weevil, or whether flaring and falling of the squares is caused l\v some 

 other unseen insect pest or by cUmatic conditions. For the benefit of 

 planters outside of the present weevil territor}', in regions where the 

 pest is more or less likely to be found at any time, the following 

 description of the insect and its work is given. It is l)elieved that this 

 description will enable an}^ planter to determine whether the pest is at 



Fi<;. 4.^Cott()ii square ent open, showing- boll weevil larva in 

 position — natural size (original). 



work in his field, so that he may take the necessary steps to fight it at 

 the earliest moment. 



The adult weevil averages about one-fourth of an inch in length, 

 ranging from one-eighth to one-third inch^ with the breadth about one- 

 third of the length. This measurement includes the snout, which is 

 about one-half of the length of the body. The color is a grayish or a 

 yellowish brown. The general form will be understood from fig, 1. 

 The insect exists in "four stages — egg, larva, pupa (fig. 2), and adult. 

 All the stages, except the adult, occur only within the cotton square 

 or boll. The egg is deposited by the female weevil in a cavity formed 

 by eating into the fruit of the plant (fig. 3). It hatches, under normal 



