1911] Ilypera and Phytonomus in America 4(>1 



Owing to the extreme variation in size and color there are 

 recorded many synonyms, and doubtless careful working over 

 of the European species will bring to light others. The species 

 has been generally known over Europe as variabilis, a name 

 which unfortunately was preoccupied by Fabricius for another 

 insect, also a Phytonomus, in 1781. In the paper in which 

 Herbst described his species he noted that the variabilis of 

 Fabricius was merely a variety of nigrirostris. This however 

 does not make Herbst's name tenable, the first available name 

 being Gyllcnhal's posticus. 



The species has been reported by most European authors 

 listing Phytonomus. 



Life History and Food Plants: Little has been written on 

 the life history of this species in Europe, though in late years it 

 has several times been quite injurious. Audouin in describing 

 the collecting habits of Odynerus spinipes stated that the larvae 

 of variabilis and murinus were living on lucerne (1839). Bargagli 

 in 1884 reported it as seriously injurious in Italy and an editorial 

 in the Bui. Ent. Soc. Ital. 1890, noted that it was a serious pest 

 to clover and alfalfa and briefly describes the egg, larva and 

 cocoon. Koppen (1880) reported serious injury to lucern in 

 Russia. More recently Mr. W . F. Fiske of the Bur. Entomology 

 U. S. Dept. Agriculture told me that the alfalfa regions of south- 

 eastern Russia were being seriously damaged by some kind of a 

 weevil, probably a Phytonomus. The present year Dr. Giov- 

 anni Martclli has issued a short contribution to the biology of 

 this species. He states that in April 1909, he observed the 

 medicinal plants in a part of the Gussone park at Portici, Italy, 

 being eaten by larvae. These he bred and they proved to be 

 "P. variabilis" . He also observed the species causing injury 

 at Acireale in 1910. He reports it causing serious damage in 

 1909 at Campobasso and at Acicastello in 1910. The present 

 year it is numerous in many parts of Italy. 



Kleine (1910) has reported the following food plants in 

 Europe: Medicago sativa, M. falcata, M. media, and M. 

 lupulina; Astragalus bayonennsis, Phaseolus vulgaris. Solatium 

 tuberosum, Brassica sp., Rubus vitis ideae and Plantago lanceolata, 

 Bargagli reported finding beetles on A triplex patula at Venice. 

 The Astragalus record is probably from Perris. 



