A REVIEW OF THE ALFALFA WEEVIL SITUATION 



By R. A. Cooley, Entomologist 



Experiment Station, Bozeman, Montana. 



Alfalfa is one of the corner stones of agriculture in Montana and 

 the annual crop is worth in the neighborhood of one and a quarter 

 millions of dollars. When one considers that on the ability to grow this 

 crop depends to a greater or less extent the success of the stock grow'- 

 ing industry, and considers further the peculiar relation of alfalfa 

 to western agriculture, it is realized that the above figure falls far 

 short of the real and potential value of this plant to the State of 

 Montana. 



The alfalfa weevil (Fhytonomus posticus Fab.) is an exceedingly 

 injurious insect pest of the alfalfa plant. It is' of European origin 

 and made its appearance in Utah, near the city of Salt Lake, some- 

 what earlier than the year 1904, the first evidence of its presence hav- 

 ing been obtained in that year. It has been spreading ever since that 

 time and now is known to be present in the following states and 

 counties : 



The extent of its distribution at the present time, so far as is 

 known, is shown graphically by the accompanying figure, data for 

 which have been kindly furnished us by Mr. George I. Reeves' of the 

 U. S. Bureau of Entomology- branch office at Salt Lake. We are in- 

 debted to the Bureau of Entomology and the Utah Experiment Station 

 for a large part of what is known about the weevil in America and the 

 means, of controlling it. 



From the figure it may be seen that this insect has 

 not yet reached the boundaries of the State of Montana. Every 



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