SMICRONYX WEEVILS—-ANDERSON 325 
near the middle of the disk; prosternum shallowly emarginate, 
slightly concave. 
Elytra reddish brown, the intervals covered with scales similar in 
shape and color to those of the prothorax, the darker scales so arranged 
as to give a mottled semibanded effect in some specimens. Under- 
side of the thorax and abdomen covered with light tan scales similar to 
the light scales of the dorsum. Femora reddish brown, strongly 
clavate, covered with elongate-ovate light tan scales. Tibiae stout, 
reddish brown, covered with elongate light tan scales; third pair 
noticeably expanded at the apex. Tarsi rufopiceous, the third 
segment much broader than the first two; claws connate for slightly 
less than half their length. Distal portion of the internal sac of the 
male genitalia covered with fine spines; spiculum gastrale with a 
dorsal ‘‘wing” at the anterior end (fig. 93). Stem of the spiculum 
ventrale of the female genitalia flattened and laterally expanded at 
the anterior end (fig. 139). 
Measurements: The following measurements were taken from 3 
males from Garden City, Kans. (CNHM), 3 males and 1 female from 
“Kans.” (CAS), a female from Reno Co., Kans., a female from Mount 
Hope, Kans. (CAS), a male from ‘‘Ks.”” (CNHM), a male from Med- 
ford, Okla. (CU), and 2 females from Brownwood, Tex. All measure- 
ments are in millimeters: 
Males Females 
Mean Extremes Mean Extremes 
Body length 4, 30 3. 90-4. 50 4.50 4. 00-5. 00 
Elytra length 2. 90 2. 50-3. 20 3.02 2. 70-3. 30 
Elytra width at base 1. 90 1. 70-2. 00 2.02 1. 90-2. 20 
Prothorax length 1. 30 1. 20-1. 40 1.41 1. 30-1. 60 
Prothorax width 1. 48 1. 20-1. 50 1.50 = 1. 38-1. 70 
Rostrum length 1.95 1. 60—2. 10 2.25 1. 95-2. 60 
Rostrum length before antennal 0. 66 0. 60-0. 70 1.03 0. 89-1. 20 
insertion 
Funicular segment 2 length 0.153 0.136-0.170 0.174 0, 153-0. 187 
Funicular segment 3 length 0.093 0. 085-0.102 0.098 0. 102-0. 085 
Brotoey: Pierce (1907) described the biology of this species from 
observations made in the vicinity of Corsicana, Texas. He named 
Sideranthus (now Haplopappus) rubignosus as the principal host plant. 
The adults appear on the plants in June and feed on leaf buds during 
June and July. Oviposition begins in July and continues through 
September. The larvae, which appear as early as July 25, feed 
among the achenes in the flower heads and form a hard cell of excre- 
ment as they feed. When the seeds drop from the receptacle, the 
larvae drop to the ground, burrow into the soil, and form an earthen 
cell. Pupation does not take place until sometime in May or even 
later in the spring of the following year. The earliest pupa recorded 
was taken on May 31. Adult specimens have been taken from 
