COLEOPTERA. 



593 



Family Cu'RCULIOXlD/E (Cur-cu-li-on'i-dae). 

 The Curculios (Cur-cii li-os) or Weevils. 



The Curculionidae is the most important of the families 

 of snout-beetles ; it includes more than one half of all the 

 Rhynchophora found in this country, and some of the most 

 destructive insect pests. In this family there is on the 

 lower side of each wing-cover a strong fold near the outer 

 margin, which limits a deep groove in which the upper edge 

 of the abdomen fits; the mandibles have no scar; the 

 antennae are usually elbowed, and have a ringed or solid 

 club; the tarsi are usually dilated, with the third segment 

 bilobed and spongy beneath ; in a few cases the tarsi are 

 narrow, but not spinose beneath. 



The larvae are soft, white, maggot-like grubs destitute of 

 feet. They feed chiefly on fruits, seeds, and nuts ; but all 

 parts of plants are subject to their attacks. 



In laying her eggs, the female first bores a hole with her 

 snout, then drops an egg into this hole, and finally pushes 

 the egg to the bottom of the hole with her 

 snout. In many species the snout is highly 

 developed for this purpose ; sometimes it is 

 twice as long as the remainder of the body. 

 This is well shown in the acorn-weevils and 

 the nut-weevils, which belong to the genus 

 Balaninus (Ba-lan'i-nus). Figure 724 repre- 

 sents Balaninus quereus (B. quer'cus) resting 

 on an acorn ; the specimen figured, when found had her snout 

 inserted in the acorn up to the antennae. 



Of the closely allied species B. rectus (B. rec'tus) breeds 

 in acorns, B. nasicus (B. na-si'cus) in hickory-nuts, and B. 

 caryatrypes (B. car-y-a-try'pes) in chestnuts. 



Probably the most important member of this family from 



an economic standpoint is the Plum Curculio, Conotrachelus 



nenuphar (Con-o-tra-che'lus nen'u-phar). This is the insect 



that stings plums, often destroying a large proportion of the 



39 



m 



Fig. 724. 



