559 



THE G-RAIN WEEVILS. 



" All the various species of insects that attack stored grain are 

 indiscriminately called weevils, or simply 'weevil,' but the only true 

 grain weevils are the granary weevil and rice weevil. 



" These two insects resemble each other in structure as well 

 as in habit. They are small, flattened, brown snout-beetles of 

 the family Calandridse. Neither is more than a sixth of an inch in 

 length, but their rate of development is so rapid that they do an 

 almost incalculable amount of injury in a short period of time. 

 Their heads are prolonged into a long snout or proboscis, at the end 

 of which are the mandibles ; their antennae are elbowed and are 

 attached to the proboscis. 



THE G-RANARY WEEVIL (Calandra granaria, Linn.) 

 " The granary weevil has been known as an enemy to stored 

 grain since the earliest times. Having become domesticated ages 

 ago, it has long since lost the use of its wings, and is strictly an 

 indoor species. 



" The mature weevil measures from an eighth to a sixth of an 

 inch, is uniform shining chestnut brown in colour, and has the 

 thorax sparsely and longitudinally punctured as indicated, much 

 enlarged, as (a). 



" The larva is legless, considerably shorter than the adult, 

 white in colour, very robust, fleshy, and of the form shown in the 

 illustration (&). The pupa, illustrated at (c), is also white, clear 

 and transparent, exhibiting the general characters of the future 

 beetle. 



"The female 

 punctures the grain 

 with her snout and 

 then inserts an egg, 

 from which is hatched 

 a larva that devours 

 the mealy interior of 

 the grain. 



"The caterpillars 

 form cylindrical silken 

 tubes in which they 

 feed, and it is in great 

 part their habit of web 

 spinning that renders 

 them so injurious 

 where they obtain a 

 foothold. Upon at- 

 taining full growth 

 the caterpillar leaves 

 its original silken 

 domicile and forms a 

 new web, which be- 

 comes a cocoon, in 



Granary Weevil (Calandra gran ana, Linn.), (a.) Adult 



beetle ; (b.) larva; (c.) pupa; (d.) Calandraoryza, 



beetle enlarged. (After^Riley,) 



