154 



COLEOPTEUA OK BEETLES. 



Fin, 71. — The Asparaous-beetle. 

 EnlarK<-*'l 3 timea. 



they are full fed and fall to the ground, where they form a cell 

 and pupate. The yellow pupa gives rise to the beetle in from 

 five (Chittenden) to ten days (Miss Ormerod says from two 



to three weeks), and the beetle lays 

 her eggs on the feathery fronds of 

 the asparagus in rows, sticking 

 them on by their ends. 



Prevention and Remedies. — 

 Neither chickens nor ducks eat 

 asparagus, and thus can be turned 

 on the beds that are infested, and 

 J^^^-^^ will then soon clear off these pests. 



"An excellent practice among prom- 

 inent growers [in America] is to cut 

 down all plants, including seedlings 

 and volunteer growth, in early 

 spring, so as to force the parent beetles to deposit their eggs 

 upon new shoots, which are then cut every few days before the 

 eggs have time to hatch for the first new brood." — (Chittenden.) 

 Fresh air-slaked lime dusted over the plants early in the morn- 

 ing soon kills the larvse, but by far the best plan is to spray 

 the fronds with arsenate of lead paste. 



The Curculionidse, or Ehynchophora, the family of Weevils, 

 are destructive to crops, fruit, seed, and stored goods. The 

 weevils are a very extensive group of beetles, in which the 

 head is more or less prolonged into a snout or rostrum upon 

 which the elbowed antennae are placed. There are two chief 

 sub-families, the C'uirulio/ihhi' and the Bruclu'da- — the formed 

 having elbowed antennae, the latter straight. Weevils are all 

 vegetable-feeders. The larvse are footless grubs, which are 

 creamy - white, curved, and wrinkled, and generally sparsely 

 covered with pale hairs. The head is provided with a biting 

 mouth, and is brown in colour. AVe find them living in galls, 

 seeds, buds, blossoms, fruit, and on the roots of plants. The 

 following are very injurious species ; — • 



