140 



porrect when in use, curved upward when at rest ; rufous, with the 

 sheaths longer and black. Legs, including trochanters and coxae 

 uniformly pale yellowish-brown, with the tips of the tarsi dusky. 

 Wings sub-hyaline and iridescent, with veins and stigma dark brown, 

 the stigma quite large and the two discoidal cells, sub-equal and as 

 usual in this genus, joining end to end, but with the upper veins 

 which separate them from the radical cell, slightly elbowed instead 

 of being strait, thus giving the radical cell a quadrangular instead 

 of a triangular appearance. Male differs from female only in his some- 

 what smaller size, and unarmed abdomen. Expanse of female 0.32 

 inch ; length of body, exclusive of ovipositor 0.22; expanse of male 

 0.2 ; length 0.18. 



Subsequent observations do not appear to have added anything to 

 our knowledge of these parasites from which so much was hoped; it 

 is therefore probable that they are parasitic upon other species, and 

 but occasionally so on this curculio. 



Mr. Walsh, while on a trip to Southern Illinois in 1868, discovered, 

 as he believed, three other insect enemies of the larva of the curculio. 

 One was the larva of a lace-wing fly (Chrysopa), particular species not 

 determined. The second, a species of predaceous ground-beetle (Aspi- 

 doglossa subangulata, Chaud.), about three-tenths of an inch long, and 

 of a shining black color. These were seen devouring the curculio 

 larva in peaches. The third was the larva of some predacious ground- 

 beetle — Mr. Walsh supposed it to be of Harpalus pennsylvanicus, De G. 

 — which appeared to devour curculio larvae while in the ground. But 

 as neither of these species can be considered parasitic upon the cur- 

 culio, their feeding upon the larvae can only be an occasional occur- 

 rence, and the benefit to be derived from them but slight. 



Remedies. — When alarmed, the insect folds up its legs close to its 

 body, bends its snout under its breast, and drops to the ground ; this 

 habit has suggested jarring the trees, and thus causing them to fall 

 into a sheet or other contrivance for securing and destroying them, 

 which is the most efficient remedy against them, so far as known. 



A number of ingenious devices for jarring trees and securing the 

 beetles have been invented, which greatly facilitate the operation and 

 lessen the labor. A description of these, to be understood by the reader, 

 would require more room than can be given to them at this time. 



The late Dr. E. S. Hull, of Alton, made trapping and destroying the 

 curculio a speciality, inventing several ingenious 'machines for this, 

 purpose, the last, which is called "Dr. Hull's Curculio Catcher," is per- 

 haps the best known. 



Quite a number of other remedies and means of counteracting this 

 pest have been proposed and tried, but generalh^ without success, 

 some of which we mention more as matters of curiosity than other- 

 wise. 



Drenching the foliage with a solution of whale oil soap, sulphur and 

 lime, was strongly recommended in the New York Obserrcr. 

 • Coal oil and gas tar placed on swabs, rags, etc., among the branches 

 lias been tried, but, as the drenching, quite in vain. 



A number of orchardists, under the mistaken idea that the beetle 

 had necessarily to climb the trees have applied bandages as traps. 



