178 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO STAPLE CROPS. 



into Connecticut, south to Maryland and AVcst Virginia 

 and as far west as Ohio and Micliigan. Every few years 

 the weevils and larva? destroy much of the foliage, but 

 rarely are as bad the next season. The weevil is about 

 one-third of an inch long, of a stout, oval form, with a 

 long, thick snout. It is of a brown color, with several 

 narrow gray lines above and broad gray stripes on each 

 side, and with twenty rows of small, deep punctures on the 

 wing-covers. 



Life-liistorij. — In early fall the females lay their eggs in 

 crevices among the stems near the base of tlie plant. The 

 young larvae emerging from them are without legs, but 

 manage to climb quite well by means of the prominent 

 tubercles on the lower surface of the body. They are light 

 yellowish green, which usually becomes deej)er green as 

 they grow older. The larvse become partially grown before 

 winter sets in, when they go into a dormant stage, hiding 

 in rubbish or under the soil till spring, when they continue 

 to feed upon the foliage and become full-grown in May 

 and June. The larvae feed mostly at night and will not 

 be noticed during the day, when they lie protected around 

 the base of the phmt. The injury done to the foliage is 

 very characteristic, the edges of the leaves being eaten in 

 a very regular manner as shown in the illustration. Before 

 transforming to the pupa the larva constructs a very deli- 

 cate cocoon of a greenish-yellow color, which is left on the 

 surface of the ground. In this the joupal stage is passed, 

 occupying about a month, the beetles being most common 

 in Julv and Ausfust. The damage which the beetles do to 

 the second crop of clover is fully equal that done by the 

 larva? to the first, and is more apparent, because the soil 

 is then dry and the plant makes a slower growth. In 



