THE EICE MOTH. 9 



Some forms of beetles, however, are able to continue feeding in tlie 

 absence of moisture until the supply of food is exhausted. 



The saw-toothed grain beetle {Silvanus surlnaonensis L.) has been 

 found in several instances associated with the rice moth. Obviously 

 it plays the same role with this species as with other moths — a scav- 

 enger, although a decidedly noxious pest. 



The rust-red flour beetle {Triholiuon- ferrugineum Fab.) has been 

 observed in the same situations as the saw-toothed grain beetle. 



The lesser grain-borer {RhizopertJia dominica Fab.) was received 

 in rice from Porto Rico associated with stages of the rice moth. 



The Siamese grain beetle {Lophocateres pwsiUa Oliv.) was ob- 

 served breeding in numbers in a sample of Porto Rican rice some 

 time after receipt, showing that the immature stages were present at 

 an earlier date. 



The rice weevil ( Calaiidra oryza L. ) was present in small numbers 

 in most of the samples inspected. It was noticeable in broken rice 

 that the beetles which developed in such small quarters were not as 

 large as those which are found in soft kernels of corn and wheat. 

 The color of the beetles taken in broken rice was brighter and they 

 had the appearance of being a distinct species. 



HISTORY AND LITERATURE. 



Wliile the rice moth probably has been present in Europe for 

 many years, it was not until 1866 that it was discovered in York, 

 England, and described as a new species by Stainton (1). It was 

 found in imported dried " currants " {Passulae cmnnthiGoe) , called 

 " Corinthian currants," but in reality a well-known species of grape. 

 In 1875 Barrett (2) mentioned the occurrence of this species in fruit 

 warehouses in London, together with other insects of similar habits. 

 In 1885 (3), 1893 (4), and 1901 (7) Eagonot wrote, in technical 

 articles, in regard to the classification and characters of this species, 

 without reference to its injurious habits. In 1895 Meyrick (5) gave 

 a brief technical description of the adult, stating that the larva 

 occurs in dried "currants." In 1897 (6) the author mentioned this 

 species in a list of insects likely to occur in this country in dried 

 fruit. In 1909-10 Fletcher (8) recorded the species as occurring in 

 rice from the West Indies. 



In 1913 Durrant and Bevericlge (9) wrote the most extensive ac- 

 count of the insect which had appeared to that date, referring espe- 

 cially to its occurrence in army biscuits and the temperature which 

 would destroy this and other species of related habits. An article 

 dealing with this insect, by Otto H. Swezey (10), appeared the same 

 year. 



In 1908 the rice moth came to the attention of Mr. Jacob Kotinsky 

 of the Bureau of Entomology, at that time in Hawaii, who found it 



