U.S. D. A., B. E. Bui. 63, Part II. C. B. W. I., February 5, 1907. 



PAPERS ON THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL AND 

 RELATED AND ASSOCIATED INSECTS. 



NOTES ON THE BIOLOGY OF CERTAIN WEEVILS RELATED TO 



THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL, 



By W. DwiGHT Pierce, 

 Special Field Agent. 



INTRODUCTION. 



During the year 1905 considerable knowledge was gained concerning 

 the biology of Texas weevils. The practical importance of this infor- 

 mation lies in the possibility that from some of these species parasites 

 may be artificiall}^ induced to transfer their activities to the boll weevil 

 {Anthonomiis grandis Boh.). But it has a further interest in that it 

 makes possible a comparison between the life history of this impor- 

 tant enemy of cotton and that of related insects which normally 

 inhabit regions into which that pest has only recently made its advent. 



Anthonomus grandis breeds during the entire growing season, from 

 April to October, and on one plant — cotton. Its host plant is so plen- 

 tiful that there is a constant food supply. Anthonomus signatus Say, 

 which breeds in immense numbers in the flowers of strawberry, black- 

 berry, dewbemy, and redbud, is not known to have more than the short 

 period of activity limited by the fruiting of its host plants. Hence the 

 possibilit}^ of transferring parasites would be limited to a short period 

 and there would be further difficulties on account of the local distribu- 

 tion of the food plants. Anthonomus dsneotinctns ChsLinp., which has 

 been found to breed in enormous numbers in pepper, in western Texas, 

 is not known to occur on other food plants in the spring and early sum- 

 mer, inasmuch as only a part of its cycle of life has been determined. 



These three species are the most important of the Texas economic 

 Anthonomi, and from the two latter little may be expected in assisting 

 in the control of the boll weevil, altho it may be important to suggest 



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