132 CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. 



In a letter Prof. Wilmon Newell says of the species in Louisiana: 



The adult weevils are of quite common occurrence in cotton fields late in the season; 

 that is, during July, August, and September. They evidently feed to some extent 

 on cotton plants at that time, so that I believe cotton can be normally considered as 

 one of their food plants but not properly a host plant. 



It is quite possible that when driven to it by hunger in early spring 

 other plants, wild or cultivated, are eaten to some extent. The fact 

 that this species was reported as ''conspicuously numerous" on plum 

 and peach trees in the spring of 1901 in Georgia would seem to indi- 

 cate some such habit. 



The original food plant is not known but was undoubtedly some 

 wild legume growing farther south than the present distribution of 

 the insect in the United States. 



DESCRIPTIONS. 



This beetle has never been technically described in English, the 

 only description of the adult being that of Boheman, in Latin. The 

 other stages have never previously been described. 



The egg (fig. 68, c). — The egg is subelliptic, obtusely rounded on the ends, 0.9 mm. 

 long, 0.6 mm. broad, white, translucent when first laid but gradually becoming more 

 opaque. The shell is smooth and shining. Just before hatching the brown mandibles 

 of the larva can be seen through the shell, which is very thin and delicate. 



The larva (fig. 67, 6, c). — Length, 7 mm.; width, 2.5 mm.; thickness (dorso ventral), 

 2 mm. Body footless, largest about one-third back from the head, from there tapering 

 to a rather acute cauda. Composed of 12 segments, 8 of which bear spiracles showing 

 as yellowish or brown dots. Each segment also bears 8 minute brownish bristles, two 

 on each side of the dorsal line and two on each lateral margin. Color pale yellow, 

 dorsal plates on first segment brownish yellow. Head about one-third the greatest 

 width of the body, vertical, dark amber-yellow with a white Y-shaped suture in front, 

 the stem of the Y bordered with white. 



The pupa (fig. 67, d). — Length, 5 mm.; width, 3 mm. Of much the same shape 

 as the adult except that the abdomen is longer and more acute. 



When newly formed it is pure white and is ornamented with numerous regularly 

 arranged, dark-colored bristles. As it matures it darkens, the eyes, proboscis, and 

 extremities of the elytra first showing the pigment. 



The adult (fig. 67, a) (translated from Latin of original description). — Subovate, 

 dark bronze; proboscis slender, moderately curved; thorax deeply and remotely 

 punctate, obscurely carinate; elytra deeply pitted with scattered conspicuous punc- 

 tures, the interstices minutely punctulate; femora acutely serrate. 



With the size and all the characters of Chalcodermus metallini but never larger; 

 thorax deeply punctate, obscurely carinate, between the elytra minutely punc- 

 tulate, farther back distinctly punctate. Head globose, obscurely bronze, evidently, 

 but less deeply punctate; eyes ovate, slightly projecting, black; proboscis never 

 longer than the thorax, somewhat slender, round, moderately curved, obscurely 

 bronze, from the base above the middle carinate, rough-striate, minutely punctulate 

 below. Antennae inserted at the middle of the proboscis behind, somewhat slender, 

 black, sparingly pilose, club oblong-ovate, acuminate, cinereous-pubescent. Thorax 

 narrower at the base and anteriorly, globose, the apex above never roundly produced, 

 at the base bisinuate, convex above, obscurely bronze, dorsum sparingly and, toward 

 the sides, closely and deeply punctate, the longitudinal lines somewhat elevated 

 and prominent. Scutellum small, circular, obscurely bronze. Elytra wider at the 



