484 COLEOPTERA. 



head and antennae, of a velvety black, the abdomen slightly 

 brownish, while the legs and anal forceps are pale resinous 

 brown, and the tips of the tibiae and the tarsal joints pale 

 testaceous. It is about one-fourth of an inch in length. 



The succeeding families comprise the divisions Tetramera 

 and Trimera of early authors, in which the penultimate joint 

 of the tarsi is but slightly developed, forming an enlargement 

 at the base of the last joint, with which it is closely 



united. 



i 



BRUCHID^E Leach. This small family comprises Curculio-like 

 beetles of short rounded form which are noted for their activity 

 and readiness to take flight when disturbed. They differ from 

 the Curculionidcem the proboscis being folded on the chest, 

 the antennae being short and straight and inserted in a cavity 

 next to the eyes. There are 300 species of Bruchus known. 

 Bruchus pisi Linn., the Pea weevil (Fig. 515), is found in seed 

 peas in the spring. It appears soon after the pea is in flower, 

 ovipositing on the young pods (Glover). The young larva 

 feeds in the growing pod, on the pulp of the pea. Peas infested 

 with them should be soaked in boiling hot water before sowing. 

 Bruchus varicornis Lee., in like manner infests the bean. 



CURCULIONID^E Latreille. The weevil family may be at once 

 recognized by the head being lengthened into a long snout or 

 proboscis (used for boring into objects when about to oviposit), 

 near the middle of which are situated the long, slender, elbowed 

 antennae. At the extremity of the snout are situated the 

 mouth-parts, which are much reduced in size, the palpi having 

 small rounded joints. Their bodies are hard and generally 

 round and often very minute. They are very timid and 

 quickly feign death. The larvae are white, thick, fleshy, foot- 

 less grubs, with fleshy tubercles instead of legs, and are armed 

 with thick curved jaws. They feed on nuts, seeds, the roots, 

 pith and bark of plants, leaves or flowers, and especially 

 the fruits, while some are leaf-miners and others are said to 

 make galls. Preparatory to transforming they spin silken 

 cocoons. The number of species already known is immense, 

 being not less than from 8,000 to 10,000, and upwards of 630 



