Insects Injurious to the Apple. 121 



OTHER BEETLES FEEDING UPON THE APPLE. 



Rhynchites bacchus, L. 

 Rhynchites cupreus, L. 

 Obrium cantharinum, L. 

 Pogonoclwrus bidentatus, Thorns. 

 Otiorhynchus picipes, F. 

 Otiorhyncus sulcatus, F. 

 Otiorhynchus tenebricosns, F. 

 Otiorhynchus fuscipes, F. 



liHYNCHiTES BACCHUS, L. (Purple Apple Weevil). This weevil is 

 purplish-coppery on the upper surface, covered with long, reddish- 

 brown pubescence. The proboscis is long, curved, carinated at the 

 base, and dark blue in colour; antenme black; elytra broadened at 

 the base ; with irregular rows of deep punctures closely rugose between ; 

 legs coppery, tarsi black. Length } to J inch. 



This is a rare species in England, according to Canon Fowler.* 

 This authority records it on the young shoots of the vine, as well as 

 apple. Kollar, on the other hand, expressly states that he has never 

 found it on the vine, but a distinct species. I have taken this species 

 in May upon apple trees in Kent. It is stated to breed at midsummer 

 and soon after it places its eggs in the apples by boring holes into 

 them with its rostrum, and there placing three or four eggs. The 

 larva is white and footless, with a black head, and comes from the 

 egg, according to Kollar, in a fe\v days. It then burrows to the core, 

 and on to the outside, very similarly to the Codling Maggot (C. 

 pomonella). Maturity is reached in four weeks. Pupation takes 

 place in the ground, the pupa remaining there until the following 

 spring. Some weevil larvae were sent me in 1886 from Kent in the 

 interior of apples ; whether they belonged to this species I cannot say. 

 The larvae answered to the description given by Kollar. 



11. CUPREUS, L. (the Copper-coloured Weevil). Purple-aeneous, 

 dull, finely pubescent ; ventrally metallic-black ; head long and 

 thickly punctured ; rostrum stout, sulcate at base. Thorax punctate, 

 with smooth central line ; scutellum large. Elytra with deeply 

 punctate stria? ; legs brassy-black, tarsi black; length i inch, Ue- 

 corded by Canon Fowler on apple blossoms. It is also recorded by 

 Kollar in the fruit of the plum. The beetle lays a single egg in the 

 plum, and then cuts the plum off, so that it falls to the ground with 

 the enclosed egg, or else cuts the petiole nearly through, and lets the 



* ' British Coleoptera,' vol. V., pp. 123, 124. 



