39 



species has any other food plant than the fruit of oak has evidently 

 never been ascertained, but it seems prolmble that it is one of the ''husk 

 worms" complained of by the growers of chestnuts, or that the husk 

 worm is an allied species. It is an inhabitant of the Atlantic States, 

 and probably extends from Canada at least to Missouri. 



THE COWPEA-POD WEEVIL. 



{Chalcodermus ssneus Boh.) 

 By F. H. Chittenden. 



For the past two years many complaints have been received from the 

 cotton-growing regions of the South of injuries to cotton ])y a species 

 of weevil known as ChaJcodermus miieus Boh. Attempts were made 

 by several persons of experience to ascertain whether or not the insect 

 really did injury to the bolls or squares of cotton after the manner 

 of the Mexican cotton boll weevil, for which it was mistaken, always, 



Fig. n.—ChalcoderwHs xnem: a, beetle; 6, larva, in profile; c, larval head; d. pupa, all about five 

 times enlarged except r, more enlarged (original). 



however, with negative results. On looking over the records of the 

 Division of Entomology extending back into 1887 we find that the 

 insect has a natural food plant in the cowpea, particularly when this 

 plant escapes from cultivation or grows wild, and that it is capable of 

 committing considerable injur}^ to both cultivated cowpea and beans. 

 In September, 1903, we received pods of cowpea affected by this spe- 

 cies, which permitted sufficient study to furnish a fairly good knowl- 

 edge of all stages except the egg, and an approximate understanding of 

 the insect's life history. 



DESCRIPTIVE. 



The adult Chalcodermus Fenem is one of the true weevils of the 

 family Curculionid^, of shape similar to the well-known plum cur- 

 culio, to which, indeed, it is not distantly related. The general color 

 is black, with more or less pronounced bronzy tinge. The elytra are 

 coarsely and strongly punctate, as is also the thorax, which is suddenly 

 narrowed anteriorly. It measures about one-fourth of an inch in 



