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Florida Entomologist 
(Formerly The Florida Buggist) 
Official Organ of the Florida Entomological Society 
VoL. IV WINTER NUMBER No. 3 
JANUARY, 1921 
NOTES ON SOME FLORIDA WEEVILS 
A small collection of Rhyncophora recently identified for the 
Department of Entomology of the Experiment Station by Mr. 
W.S. Blatchley supplies two new records for Florida and some 
new data on distribution within the state, on dates of appear- 
ance, and food habits. Most of the systematic collecting in the 
state has been done during the winter so that summer records 
are rather valuable. The numbers in parenthesis are those in 
Blatchley’s and Leng’s “Rhyncophora of N. E. America.” 
(34) Avraeocerus fasciculatus DeG. The Coffee-Bean Weevil. 
Taken from a frosted avocado tree near Tampa; and on the calyx 
of a Japanese persimmon from which the fruit had _ fallen, 
Gainesville, May. Probably not the cause of the dropping of the 
persimmon. This insect feeds on dried seeds and evidently also 
on diseased and dying tissue. It is a serious pest of coffee in 
some parts of the West Indies. It is said to have originated in 
India but is now apparently thoroly established in Florida. 
(127) Epicaerus formidulosus Boh. This is a very common 
weevil and one of considerable economic importance. It is com- 
mon on cotton plants and has been mistaken for the boll weevil 
by a great many farmers, in spite of its larger size and spotted 
color pattern. It is sometimes very destructive to young pepper 
plants, which it punctures at or a quarter inch below the surface 
of the ground. In Nov. 1919 it “ruined a field of peas” at 
Leesburg. In Bul. 67, U. S. Bur. Ent., it is said to injure young 
tobacco plants. We have taken it also on velvet beans, Ironweed 
(Vernonia), yellow jasmine, goldenrod and several other com- 
positae, and during every month from April to November. Evi- 
dently a quite general feeder. We have no winter records. 
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