Insects, etc., Injurious to the Strawberry. 



463 



attacked, the little weevils eating out round holes into the fruit, 

 usually but little larger than themselves. 



These holes are very characteristic ; they are round, the entrance 



being smaller than the space within. 



The beetles were found in these holes 

 at dusk and early morning. This 

 damage had previously been put down 

 to slugs. I know nothing of the life- 

 history of this insect. 



The beetle varies from inch to a 

 little over in length ; it is elongated 

 oval in form, black in colour, some in- 

 clining to deep shiny brown ; fresh 

 specimens show scanty grey pubescence; 

 the snout is broad and has a central 

 furrow, and the long slender antennae 

 are red ; the wing cases have very 

 coarsely punctured stria?. The legs are 

 reddish. The male is very like the 

 female, but the front tibi;e are curved 

 at the apex. 

 Fowler records this beetle as follows : 



[Horace Knight. 



G. 304. SMALL STRAWBERRY WEEVIL 

 (Exom ias amneiformis). 



London district, Kent and Surrey, com- 

 mon everywhere ; it appears to be more 

 or less general as far north as the 

 Lancaster district and Cheshire, but it 

 ceases entirely in the north and is not 

 recorded from the Northumberland and 

 Durham district, nor has Dr. Sharp ever 

 come across a Scotch example, although 

 it must be admitted that Murray records 

 it as " occasionally in Scotland. Ireland, 

 Malahide, near Dublin (Power), Armagh," 

 etc. 



Its habits seem very similar to those 

 of other weevils. It shelters in moss, and 

 is said to do so in woods. 



I found in my garden that, by putting 

 down large pieces of damp bark with 

 moss on it between the rows, the beetles 



collected there and so were easily trapped. In future attacks this 



.might be borne in mind and tried again. 



[F. Edenden. 



FIG. 305. STRAWBERRY EATEN BY 

 SMALL WEEVIL. 



