THE ALFALFA WEEVIL. 



7, much enlarged), is of a plain broAvn color. In a few clays this 

 brown becomes darker, mixed with black and gray hairs, which give 



it a spotted or mottled appearance, as 

 shown, much enlarged, in figure 3. Grad- 

 ually these scales and hairs become rubbed 

 off, so that in spring we frequently ob- 

 serve individuals that appear almost en- 

 tireh^ black, with small, irregular gray 

 spots upon them. 



WHERE IT WINTERS. 



The insect winters entirely in the beetle 

 stage, seeking shelter, before the frosts of 

 autumn commerce, either in the crowns of 

 alfalfa plants, close to the surface of the 

 ground in the field, or under leaves, 

 matted grass, weeds, and rubbish along 

 ditch banks, haystacks, and straAvstacks. 

 Indeed, it is oftentimes found in barns 

 where the hay is kept over winter. When 

 this hay is being put into the barn in late 

 summer, one side of the barn has been ob- 

 served to be almost covered with adults, 

 and in winter and spring, when the hay 

 is being feci out, the floor of the barn will 

 often be swarming with the beetles, like 

 It has been estimated that fully 80 per 



cent of the beetles that go into winter quarters in the fall live through 



until spring. With the coming of spring the 



beetles make their way forth from their hiding 



places and attack the young growth of alfalfa 



as soon as there is sufficient food for them. In 



ordinary seasons they may be expected to appear 



the latter part of March, and the egg-laying 



period usuallv lasts from early April until early 



July. 



WHERE THE EGGS ARE LAID. 



Fig. 2. — The alfalfa weevil : 

 Larvae attacking a sprig of 

 alfalfa. Natural size ; larva at 

 right much enlarged. (Orig- 

 inal.) 



ants about an ant hill. 



In very early spring, before the plants have made 

 much growth, the beetles often push their eggs 

 down between the leaves, the usual place of ovi- 

 position, however, being in punctures made in 

 the stem (fig. 2), and some damage occurs at the very beginning of 

 the season on account of the beetles puncturing the young stems and 



Fig. 3.— The alfalfa 

 weevil : Adult. Much 

 enlarged. ( Orig- 

 inal. ) 



