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ORGANIC MATERIA MEDICA AND PHARMACOGNOSY 



to the family Histeridae, has been found in powdered poke root. Two 

 species of Ceutorynchus, small snouted beetles or weevils, infest poppy and 

 other seeds. Another weevil, Calandra oryza, imported from Europe, 

 infests rice and ground roasted acorns. 



The beetles comprise the chief drug pests, but some other orders of 

 insects are represented by a lesser or greater number of pests. 



The Lepidoptera or butterflies and moths, while possessing, in the 

 adult stage, mouth parts adapted for sucking, have, in the young stages, 

 strong biting-jaws. The young are the well-known caterpillars, and may 

 be distinguished from the young or grubs of beetles by the number of 

 legs. The larva or grub of the beetle has but three pairs of legs, and these 

 are attached to the first three segments of the body lying just behind the 

 head; the larva or caterpillar of a moth has, in addition to these three 



FIG. 268. Anthrenus varius Fab. a. Adult beetle, b. Pupa. 

 c. Larva. (Original.) 



FIG. 269. Sihanus 

 surinamensisLinnt. 

 (Original.) 



pairs of so-called thoracic legs, usually five more pairs of legs, four of 

 these pairs being attached to segments in the middle region of the worm- 

 like body, and the fifth pair being attached to the last segment of the 

 body. The grubs of beetles sometimes have in addition to their three 

 pairs of thoracic legs a single leg on the last segment of the body. 



Every one knows of the clothes-moth, dread foe of the housewife, 

 which, as a small white caterpillar, living in a cylindrical roll or case (see 

 d, Fig. 270) made from the woolen cloth or fur on which it is feeding, does 

 irreparable injury to the choicest fabrics and costliest furs. This moth 

 belongs to the genus Tinea, of which one or more species attack drugs. 

 Fig. 270 illustrates the life history of the moths of this genus; c is the larva 

 or caterpillar; b is the pupa or resting stage; and a is the adult moth. 

 The moth is very small and light brown in color. I have found a Tineid 

 attacking aconite root. Another moth, known as the Angoumois grain 

 moth (Gelechia cerealella), attacks, in the caterpillar stage, all kinds of 

 stored grain. It bores holes into the grain kernels and eats out the starchy 

 interior, leaving only a delusive hollow shell. Figure 271 shows the ap- 



