COLEOPTEKA OR BEETLES. 141 



be placed in a closed box and a saucer of the carbon bisulphide 

 placed on them and left for a few hours : the fumes pass down 

 and penetrate the seeds, killing not only larvae, but pupae and 

 adults also. 



Otiorhtnchus Weevils. 



Amongst other destructive "WeevUs we may mention the 

 Raspberry Weevil (Otiorhynchus picipes), the Clay - coloured 

 Weevil (O. sulcatus), and the Plum or Eed-Legged Weevils (0. 

 tenebricosus and fuscipes). The genus Otiorhynchus is character- 

 ised by possessing no wings ; the elytra are 

 soldered together over the abdomen. They 

 are mostly large beetles, with a distinct 

 rostrum and elbowed antennae. Both adults 

 and larvae are very destructive to fruit, the 

 former devouring the leaves and even blos- 

 som, the latter feeding off the roots. All 

 the species mentioned here are night-feeders, 

 hiding away during the daytime beneath 

 clods of earth, boards, under the leaves of 

 plants, or in crevices of walls. They fall to weevil '~(Otiarhynchus 

 the ground from the fruit-trees and bushes at tT'^^^^' ''™' 

 the least shock or sight of a light, and can 

 thus be easily caught by holding tarred boards beneath the trees 

 and then jarring them. In this way the Easpberry Weevil (0. 

 mleatun) has been successfully cleared out in many of the fruit- 

 gardens in Cornwall and elsewhere, a similar plan being equally 

 successful for catching the other species. The larvae are of typi- 

 cal weevil form, and live on the roots of strawberries, currants, 

 and other fruit during the winter months, often doing much 

 damage. 



Other destructive weevils are the Nut Weevil {Balaninus 

 rmcum), a large weevil with extremely long rostrum, which 

 causes the maggot in cob and filbert nuts ; the Turnip-Gall 

 Weevil (Centorhynchus sulcicoUis), producing the large galls we 



