LEAVES ROLLED BY LEAF-ROLLING WEEVIL. 



THE BIRCH LEAF-ROLLING WEEVIL 



By HAROLD BASTIN 



Illustrated from Photographs by the Author 



IN the whole realm of Nature I know 

 of nothing more astonishing than 

 the behaviour oi certain small beetles 

 of the Weevil class which are grouped 

 by naturalists in the families Rhynchitida; 

 and Attclabida. These insects are known 

 popularly as " Leaf -rollers," because the 

 females, during the period of egg-laying, 

 prepare leaves in an elaborate manner to 

 serve as food and dwelhng-places for their 

 young, l^oth families are represented in 

 the North American ccmtinent ; but in 

 Europe the species are much more numer- 

 ous, while one {Rhynchites bacchus) has 

 gained notoriety as a " pest." It muti- 

 lates vine leaves in such numbers as 



seriously to affect the growth of the plant. 

 But it is with an allied British species 

 that I propose briefly to deal. It is 

 known to science as Rhynchites hetulcB. 

 This high-sounding name, being freely 

 translated, signifies " the nosey one of the 

 birch tree," and is singularly appropriate, 

 for it indicates at once the beetle's pro- 

 minent feature — i.e. its snout or rostrum 

 — and its place of residence. Young 

 birch trees, from five to ten feet high, 

 growing at the outskirts of plantations, 

 should Ix- searched during the summer 

 months l)y those who desire the acquaint- 

 ance of the " nosey one." 



Probably the searcher will first find 



8;6 



