INSECTS INJURIOUS TO BEANS AND PEAS 307 



The pupa is white, showing the notches at the sides of the 

 thorax, but otherwise is not dissimilar from many weevil pupae. 

 The length of the pupal stage varies from nine to seventeen or 

 more days. In more southern latitudes a large part of the beetles 

 leave the seed in August, but in the North they all remain in the 

 seed over winter, and are planted with the seed. There is but one 

 generation a year and this species does not breed in dry peas. 



Injury. Dr.. James Fletcher has stated that this pest is now 

 doing over $1,000,000 damage in Ontario alone annually, and that 

 the growing of peas has been abandoned in considerable areas of 

 that province. In large peas about one-sixth of the food content 

 is destroyed, while in smaller varieties fully one-half. Not only 

 this, but in eating canned green peas one frequently devours sev- 

 eral small larvae in each mouthful, unawares, as but a small dark 

 speck indicates their presence in the green pea. In the dry seed 

 the holes made by the larvae can be seen. But 12 to 18 per cent of 

 infested seed will produce plants, which are later in developing and 

 do not yield as well as those unaffected. 



Enemies. The Baltimore oriole has been recorded as feeding 

 on the grubs by splitting open the pods, and the crow blackbird is 

 said to devour many of the beetles in the spring. Practically no 

 parasites or predaceous insects are known to prey upon it, so that 

 it has every opportunity for doing serious injury. 



Control. Holding over Seed. One of the best means of 

 destroying the weevils where but a few peas are concerned and cir- 

 cumstances will permit, is to simply hold them over for a season, 

 stored in a tight sack or box, before planting. As the weevils will 

 not breed in the dried peas they die in the sack and are thus caught. 

 Peas should always be bagged up and sacks tied immediately after 

 threshing. 



Late Planting. Comparative immunity from injury is claimed 

 by some growers for late-planted peas. Dr. F. H. Chittenden is 

 inclined to the belief that in some localities, such as Washington. 

 .D.C., where two crops can be grown in a year, that late planting is 

 all necessary to secure sound seed stock. 



Treating with Kerosene. The Canadians have found that 



