158 GOLEOPTERA OR BEETLES. 



the ground, and so doing away with the shelter they get in 

 inclement weather from the rough clods of earth. The larvae 

 on the roots of peas can easily be killed in gardens by watering 

 with soluble phrenyl. In gardens it is a good plan to spread 

 fine earth along the rows of peas. 



Otiorhtnchds Weevils. 



Amongst other destructive Weevils we may mention the 



Easpberry or the Clay-coloured Weevil {Otiorhijnclius picipes), 



the Strawberry or Vine Weevil (0. sulcatus), and the Plum or 



Eed-Legged Weevils (0. tenebricosus and fuscipei). The genus 



Otiorhyndius is characterised by possessing 



no wings ; the elytra are soldered together 



over the abdomen. They are mostly large 



beetles, with a distinct short rostrum and 



elbowed antennae. Both adults and larvae 



are very destructive to fruit, &c. ; the 



former devour the leaves and blossom, 



and later feed off the roots. All the 



species mentioned here are night-feeders, 



hiding away during the daytime beneath 



Fig. 75. — HED-LEoiiED clods of earth, boards, under the leaves 



Weevil (Otiorhynchitti . . i- ii mi 



lenebTKONis). Twice iiat. of plants, or in crevices of walls, iney 

 fall to the ground from the fruit-trees 

 and bushes at the least shook 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 Raspberry Weevil 

 [0. picipes) has been successfully cleared out in many of the 

 fruit-Ljardens in Cornwall and elsewhere, a similar plan being 

 equally successful for catching the other species. The larvae 

 are of typical weevil form, anil live on the roots of straw- 

 berries, currants, and other fruit, and on ferns and pot 

 plants, during the winter months, often doing much damage. 

 Other destructive weevils are the Nut Weevil (Balaninus 



