U. S. D. A., B. E. Bui. 85, Part III. C. F. 1. 1., March 7, 1910. 



PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. 



THE CLOVER-ROOT CURCULIO. 



(Sitones hispidulus Fab.) 



By V. L. WlLDERMUTH, 



Agent and Expert. 

 INTRODUCTION. 



The genus Sitones includes a large number of species, many of 

 which are known to be more or less injurious to leguminous crops. 

 Sitones puncticollis Steph. and S. lineatus L., frequently called " pea 

 weevils," have been especially destructive at times to peas, beans, and 

 clover in England as well as on the Continent. In the years 1880 to 

 1882 and 1883 the crop of peas and beans was practically ruined in 

 parts of England. Miss Ormerod (1883, 1884, 1893) a stated that the 

 larvae were sometimes known as " white maggots " and that in Eng- 

 land they obtain their living from the roots of the plants attacked, 

 while the adults feed on the leaves. 



In this country only, the flavescent clover curculio (S. flavescens 

 Marsh.) has so far proved the most destructive relative of S. hispid- 

 ulus. Sitones flavescens depredates on red and white clover, more 

 particularly the latter, and perhaps does a large amount of obscure 

 damage, being widely distributed over most of the United States 

 (Webster, 1886). 



While S. hispidulus has never been so abundant in this country as 

 totally to destroy a clover crop, yet there is no doubt that injuries 

 that have before been either unnoticed or else laid at the door of some 

 other clover pests, as S. puncticollis, S. lineatus, or Phytonomus punc- 

 tatus Fab., or even the clover root-borer {Hylastinus obscurus 

 Marsh.), by the ordinary observer, were partly the work of the adults 

 and larvae of this beetle. 



From the history of other species of insects that have been imported 

 into this country, and from the fact that late in November, 1909, at 

 two localities, viz, Corning, N. Y., and Marion, Pa., the adults were 



See Bibliography, p. 38. 



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