one of the most interesting and remarkable points in the whole range of 

 insect biology. For, knowing that its . larva will have to feed upon dead 

 and sapless wood, this beetle, at the time of depositing its egg in the living 

 and easily penetrated green wood, has instinct or forethought to girdle the 

 twig, and thus assure the future larva the conditions necessary for its 

 metamorphosis. 



The question, "Are Curculio larva lignivorous ?" has been partially dis- 

 cussed in Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society, vol. vii, p. 150, 

 by Warren Knaus, and in Entomologica Americana, vol. i, p. 18, by W. H. 

 Harrington. The question was brought up by the finding of Wollostonia 

 quercicola in cottonwood logs in an advanced stage of decay. The Curcu- 

 lios are a group of insects in systematic value the equivalent to a sub-order, 

 and known as the Rynchophora (Latreille), which bear certain intimate 

 resemblance to one another in the perfect and final forms, while in their 

 larval stage they may, and certainly do, differ in many particulars of habit. 

 W. quercicola belongs to the Calandridae, a family abounding in species 

 whose habit in the larval stage is preeminently to feed on dry wood. The 

 metamorphoses of the Rhynchophora (Latr.) are not at all well known, 

 but I have bred the following, belonging to this sub-order, and have found 

 them to be lignivorous in the larval stage: 



PLATYRHINUS LATIROSTRIS Fabr. Decaying oak stumps highly charged 

 with mycelia of a fungus. 



SCOLYTUS DESTRUCTOR Oliv. Dead sapwood of elm. 

 MESITIS TARDII Woll. Decaying beech. 

 MONARTHRUM HuTTONi Woll. Various hard woods. 

 HYLESINUS CRENATUS Fabr. Dying ash. 

 ANTHRIBUS ALBINUS Lin. Old wood. 

 BRACHYTARSUS SCABROSUS Fabr. Elm bark. 

 RYNCOLUS several species. Bark of trees. 



The foregoing are old world species of Curculios that do not affect a 

 herbaceous diet; and the three following species are of similar habits. 



SCOLYTIDJE. 



MONARTHRUM SCUTELLARE Lee. Bark of dead Quercus agrifolia. 

 MONARTHRUM DENTIGERUM Lee. Bark of dead Quercus agrifolia. 



MICRACIS HIRTELLA Lee. Dead branches of California laurel, Umbellu- 

 laria Californica. 



The Brenthidae are well known to have the general habit of perforating 

 trees and of depositing a single egg in each hole thus made, by this means 

 providing that the larva shall have a full supply of the wood upon which 

 it feeds. 



The question, then, should not be: are Curculio larva? lignivorous? but 

 rather, how many have that habit? . In a great group like this of Curculios, 

 comprising many forms varying greatly from one another, one can easily 

 appreciate the fact that we meet with many different tastes and habits. 



