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THE CHESTNUT WEEVIL, Balaninus rectus Say. 

 4, _ 



Chestnuts are frequently gathered that appear sound at 

 first but within ten days or two weeks thereafter become exces- 

 sively "wormy." Where these "worms" come from has often 

 been a matter of conjecture on the part of those who handle nuts. 

 It is a common belief that they originate from the "sting" of 

 some insect administered at the time the trees are in bloom. As 

 a matter of fact, they hatch from eggs that are in the nuts at the 

 time the nuts are gathered. Most of these eggs are deposited by 

 this chestnut weevil a short time previous to the dropping of the 

 nuts from the trees. 



This beetle resembles very closely in a general way the one 

 just described. The shape and color are similar and the beak, 

 like that of the other, is long and conspicuous. It may be dis- 

 tinguished from the larger chestnut weevil by its smaller size, 

 slightly darker color, greater curvature of the snout, and by the 

 first joint of the antenna beyond the scape which is longer than 

 the second. On the tree, this beetle is shyer and more active than 

 the larger species. 



The length of the adult insect is from a fourth to a third of 

 an inch. The snout is almost as slender as a horsehair and is 

 curved from the base to the tip. The snout of the female is about 

 four-fifths of an inch long and that of the male about half that 

 length. 



As previously stated, beetles of this species may be found 

 occasionally early in the spring. It is not known that these early 

 arriving individuals produce eggs. The bulk of the beetles come 

 from the ground much later in the season ; later, by several days, 

 than the larger chestnut weevil. Observations of the insects in 

 the field have shown that in this locality pupation usually takes 

 place between the first and fifteenth of August. In 1906, 1 found 

 three newly emerged males on the trees on August 28th and on 

 the 30th of the same month two females were found. In 1907, 

 several fresh males and females were found on the trees on Au- 

 gust 26th. A few days after the dates given the beetles became 

 very numerous. I have never found the sexes paired on the 



