PEA WEEVIL. 133 



edges slightly waved, there are two white spots upon 

 the disc, and a large triangular spot about the middle 

 of the base, some ashy-white hairs being scattered on 

 the disc. The elytron is striated and punctured, and 

 has a number of white spots scattered over it, and a 

 whitish-grey streak near the scutellum. The tip of 

 the abdomen is white, with the exception of two dun- 

 coloured spots. 



All the species of this genus are exceedingly 

 destructive, feeding upon the seeds of beans, peas, 

 and similar vegetables, very often doing enormous 

 damage by dint of numbers, in spite of their small 

 individual size. The reader may perhaps have 

 had occasion to notice that, when peas are newly 

 shelled, one frequently occurs in which a hole or 

 a groove is scooped, the tenant being a little white 

 maggot. These maggots are almost ahvays the larvae 

 of this or some allied species of Weevil. They re- 

 main in the seeds until they have attained their 

 perfect condition, when they escape through a round 

 hole made for the purpose while in the larval state. 

 Eight species are acknowledged to be indigenous to 

 Great Britain. Many other species have been placed 

 on the British lists, but entomologists have decided 

 that they have been introduced into England in 

 cargoes of peas, beans, or corn, and therefore ought 

 not to be admitted as genuine British insects. 

 Indeed, it could be wished that the law of extradi- 

 tion could be extended to insects, and that these 

 Weevils, together with the cockroach and sundry 

 other destructive and noxious insects, could be 

 restored to the country whence they came. 



