40 



length and is quite robust. (See %, 13, r/.) From a closely related 

 species which probabl}^ has similar habits {C. coUaris) it differs in the 

 thoracic ornamentation, the latter (illustrated in fig. 16) having the 

 thorax deeply', longitudinally, and somewhat irregular!}- strigose, 

 while the body, particularly the elytra, is paler, with a distinct brown- 

 ish and more bronzy hue. 



June 3, 1901, Mr. H. P. Gould, sent from College Park, Md., num- 

 bers of the latter weevil, with report that the}" had been received from 



Mr. L. C. Reid, Rhodesdale, Md., where they 

 were very destructive to watermelon vines. 

 They attacked them usually in the bud and 

 gathered in little clusters or knots, the plants 

 soon withering and dying. 



The Qg^ of xneus has not been described. 

 The larva presents few characters for specific 

 description. Its general ai)pearance is shown 

 at h (fig. 13), c representing the head, greatl}'^ 

 enlarged. The pupa {d) shows much resemblance to the pupa of the 

 plum curculio. Both larva and pupa are milk}' white in color, and 

 the surface of each is sparsely hairy. 



Fig. 14. — Chalcodermus ivvcin': lat 

 eral view, much enlarged (origi 

 nal). 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Horn records this species from Georgia and Florida; Boheman from 

 Mexico. In the national collection we have specimens 

 from Grant, Fort Drum, Kissimmee, Bartow, and Key 

 Largo, Fla. ; Frierson and New Orleans, La. ; Atlanta and 

 Morgan, Ga.; Victoria and Harvester, Tex., and South 

 McAlester, Ind. T. , To this we must add reported occur- 

 rences at Dawson, Ga. ; Denson Spring, Crockett, Pales- 

 tine, Mount Pleasant, Augusta, and Groesbeck, Tex.; 

 Morgan, Ga. ; Cocoanut Grove, Fla., and Wedgefield, S. C. 



RECENT REPORTS OF INJURY. 



July 25, 1901, Mr. R. T. Smith, Grant, Fla., wrote that 

 this species was found piercing the pods of string beans. 



During May, 1902, Mr. W. M. Scott wrote of its occur- 

 ence on cotton at Dawson, Ga. Complaints of injury 

 were received also from other sources, with indication 

 that the insect occurred in considerable numbers where 

 reported. One correspondent said that "the weevil seems 

 to confine itself to the stalk of the plant and stem of 

 the leaves, inserting its beak and sucking the plant to death," while 

 another reported that it damaged the leaves and buds, finally killing 

 the plant. 



Fig. 15.— Chalco- 

 dermus xneus: 

 work of larva 

 (original). 



