82-(53) THE BEAX-WEEVIL, BKUCHTTS FABM. 



The Bruchidse are short and oval, having the antenna^ 

 short, straight, and inserted in the head close to the eyes. 

 The head is rounded and furnished with a short snout, 

 which, when the animal is in repose, is folded upon the 

 breast. It also takes itself off in active flight when dis- 

 turbed. 



The Curculionidse have a lengthened head, prolonged 

 into a long snout, carrying the mouth parts at its outer 

 extremity. The antenna? are long and generally elbow- 

 ed, and inserted on the snout near the middle. When 

 disturbed most curculios feign death. 



The common plum- weevil, (Cono tracheitis nenuphar), 

 differs from its family and resembles the Bruchidse in 

 bending its snout up under its breast when not feeding, 

 but this snout is curved, and bent in its curved form un- 

 der the breast, instead of being folded up close and flat 

 as with the Bruchidse. 



The Bruchidse infest the seeds of leguminous plants, 

 such as peas, beans, Robinia (locust), Mimoza (sensitive 

 plant;. Cassia (senna), &c. 



Prof. Packard gives the number of Bruchidse known, at 

 three hundred species, and that of Curculionidse at not less 

 than from eight to ten thousand, under more than six 

 hundred genera. Among the notable Curculios are the 

 detested plum-weevil, already mentioned, and the plum- 

 gouger, (Anthononiiis prunicida) which makes a round 

 puncture in the fruit, (instead of the crescent puncture 

 of the ordinary plum-curculio), and it burrows in and 

 destroys the kernel ; the cranberry-weevil, (Anthonomus 

 suturalis), the grape-curculis, (Cceliodes insequalis), the 

 potato stalk weevil, (Baridius trinotalus), the grain-wee- 

 vil, (Sitophilus granarius), a host of nut-weevils, and the 

 white pine weevil, (Pissodes strobi), which is now pro- 

 ducing such excitement in the lumber regious of New 

 England by its serious ravages. 



A knowledge of the life-history of the bean-w r eevil, is 

 absolutely essential to the devising of successful plans 

 for its extermination. The mature winged female beetle, 

 piercing the tender pod when the latter is yet very small, 

 with her snout, inserts her eggs there in the structure of 

 the pod directly over the beans. The pea -weevil deposits 

 but one egg in one hole ; I have no information as to 

 whether this is also the case with the weevil of the bean 



