﻿INJURIOUS 
  WEEVILS 
  FROM 
  AFRICA. 
  237 
  

  

  interval 
  3 
  bearing 
  a 
  more 
  distinct 
  spot 
  behind 
  the 
  middle 
  ; 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  set 
  

   with 
  long 
  erect 
  dark 
  setae, 
  most 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  minutely 
  bifid 
  at 
  the 
  tip 
  ; 
  the 
  under 
  

   surface 
  clothed 
  with 
  short 
  recumbent 
  and 
  longer 
  suberect 
  white 
  setae. 
  

  

  Head 
  reticulately 
  punctate 
  and 
  without 
  any 
  frontal 
  fovea 
  ; 
  the 
  outline 
  of 
  the 
  fore- 
  

   head 
  continuous 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  rostrum. 
  Rostrum 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  prothorax, 
  

   almost 
  straight, 
  the 
  sides 
  subparallel, 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  regularly 
  convex 
  transversely, 
  

   with 
  a 
  smooth 
  straight 
  central 
  carina 
  and 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  narrow 
  undulating 
  longitudinal 
  

   carinae 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  it. 
  Antennae 
  slender, 
  testaceous 
  brown. 
  Prothorax 
  as 
  long 
  

   as 
  its 
  greatest 
  width, 
  gradually 
  widening 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  to 
  quite 
  near 
  the 
  apex 
  and 
  

   then 
  suddenly 
  constricted, 
  the 
  basal 
  margin 
  rounded, 
  the 
  anterior 
  margin 
  straight 
  

   dorsally 
  ; 
  upper 
  surface 
  almost 
  plane, 
  with 
  large 
  reticulate 
  punctures 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  

   curved 
  transverse 
  impression 
  near 
  the 
  apex. 
  Scutellum 
  punctate 
  and 
  with 
  depressed 
  

   white 
  setae. 
  Elytra 
  with 
  the 
  sides 
  slightly 
  rounded, 
  the 
  dorsal 
  outline 
  flat, 
  the 
  

   declivity 
  gradual 
  ; 
  the 
  shallow 
  striae 
  distinctly 
  punctate, 
  the 
  punctures 
  visible 
  

   through 
  the 
  scaling 
  and 
  each 
  containing 
  a 
  minute 
  white 
  seta, 
  the 
  intervals 
  between 
  

   the 
  striae 
  slightly 
  convex. 
  Legs 
  red-brown, 
  rugosely 
  punctate 
  and 
  clothed 
  with 
  

   white 
  setae, 
  the 
  tarsi 
  paler. 
  Length, 
  5*5 
  ; 
  width, 
  2*25-2*5 
  mm. 
  

  

  Cape 
  Province 
  : 
  Rosebank. 
  

  

  A 
  pair 
  received 
  from 
  Dr. 
  L. 
  Peringuey 
  with 
  the 
  statement 
  that 
  the 
  insects 
  were 
  

   injuring 
  strawberries. 
  This 
  is 
  evidently 
  the 
  species 
  referred 
  to 
  by 
  Mr. 
  C. 
  W. 
  Mally, 
  

   Entomologist 
  for 
  the 
  Cape 
  Province, 
  in 
  his 
  last 
  annual 
  report. 
  He 
  states 
  that 
  the 
  

   weevils 
  did 
  considerable 
  damage 
  to 
  strawberry 
  plants 
  about 
  the 
  time 
  when 
  the 
  fruit 
  

   was 
  ripening. 
  The 
  larvae 
  pupated 
  in 
  cells 
  formed 
  just 
  below 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  soil. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  the 
  first 
  species 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  subfamily 
  Hyperinae 
  that 
  has 
  been 
  

   recorded 
  from 
  South 
  Africa. 
  

  

  Tychius 
  gossypii, 
  sp. 
  nov. 
  

  

  Colour 
  black 
  or 
  piceous, 
  with 
  dense 
  pale 
  brassy 
  scaling 
  above 
  and 
  white 
  scaling 
  

   beneath 
  ; 
  the 
  elytra 
  with 
  an 
  indistinct 
  narrow 
  sutural 
  stripe. 
  

  

  Head 
  with 
  dense 
  scaling, 
  the 
  forehead 
  as 
  wide 
  as 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  rostrum. 
  Rostrum 
  

   about 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  prothorax, 
  narrowing 
  gradually 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  to 
  the 
  apex 
  ; 
  

   behind 
  the 
  antennae 
  it 
  is 
  dark 
  and 
  densely 
  scaled, 
  the 
  apical 
  portion 
  being 
  testaceous 
  

   and 
  bare. 
  Antennae 
  testaceous, 
  with 
  white 
  hairs. 
  Prothorax 
  a 
  trifle 
  broader 
  than 
  

   long, 
  very 
  slightly 
  widening 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  to 
  the 
  middle, 
  thence 
  strongly 
  and 
  roundly 
  

   narrowed 
  to 
  the 
  apex, 
  with 
  a 
  shallow 
  apical 
  constriction, 
  the 
  base 
  distinctly 
  bisinuate 
  ; 
  

   the 
  disk 
  is 
  almost 
  plane 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  and 
  is 
  evenly 
  covered 
  with 
  very 
  close 
  punctation, 
  

   which 
  is 
  entirely 
  hidden 
  by 
  the 
  scaling. 
  Elytra 
  narrow, 
  only 
  slightly 
  convex, 
  with 
  

   narrow 
  shallowly-punctate 
  striae, 
  the 
  intervals 
  plane 
  and 
  rugosely 
  punctate, 
  the 
  

   sculpturing 
  being 
  hidden 
  by 
  the 
  scaling. 
  Legs 
  entirely 
  testaceous, 
  with 
  dense 
  white 
  

   scaling, 
  the 
  femora 
  not 
  toothed. 
  

  

  Length, 
  2*25-25 
  mm. 
  ; 
  width, 
  1 
  mm. 
  

  

  Egypt 
  : 
  Cairo 
  (F. 
  C. 
  Willcocks). 
  

  

  This 
  insect 
  was 
  found 
  on 
  cotton, 
  but 
  no 
  information 
  was 
  sent 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  nature 
  or 
  

   extent 
  of 
  the 
  damage 
  done 
  by 
  it. 
  

  

  Superficially 
  T. 
  gossypii 
  resembles 
  T. 
  meliloti, 
  Steph., 
  but 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  a 
  distinctly 
  

   broader 
  and 
  more 
  convex 
  insect, 
  with 
  the 
  forehead 
  narrower 
  than 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  