2 THE MANGO WEEVIL. 
including the Philippines and other groups of South Pacific islands. 
It has gained foothold similarly in South Africa and Madagascar and 
numerous other points. Fortunately this country is so far free from 
this pest, and if it can be kept out the mango industry which it is 
hoped to develop in Florida and perhaps in the other warmer parts of 
this country can be given a very great advantage over other mango- 
producing regions of the world. The insect in its different stages is 
illustrated, much enlarged, in figures 1 and 2, from photographs by 
Mr. J. G. Sanders, formerly of this bureau. 
As already indicated, this mango pest belongs to the weevil family. 
The egg is deposited in the fleshy part of the fruit, and the young 
a b 
Fic. 2—The mango weevil: a, Larva; b, pupa. Much enlarged. (Original. ) 
grub (fig. 2, a) burrows at once into the seed pod and develops in the 
seed to a pupa (fig. 2,6) and finally to the adult, weevil, or beetle 
(fig. 1). The green mango soon heals up over the egg slit, and there 
is very little, if any, exterior indication of infestation. The weevil 
or beetle is about one-fourth of an inch long and dark brown in color. 
It remains in the seed for some time, and may thus be easily dis- 
tributed with seed for planting or with the ripened fruit. 
Protected as it is within the seed pod and, in fact, within the seed 
itself within the pod, it is not possible to destroy it by fumigation with 
any certainty. The only means of determining infestation is in open- 
ing the seed pod and removing the paper-like covering of the seed 
(Cir. 141.] 
