ARIZONA WILD COTTON WEEVIL. I 



in the punctures just as in the case of cotton weevils and the open- 

 ings are sealed in the usual way. The larva feeds upon the imma- 

 ture seeds and develops in much the same manner and time as the 

 cotton weevil. 



DESCRIPTION OF STAGES OF THE WEEVIL. 



The egg. — The egg of the weevil is usually elliptical in shape and 

 is of a pearly white color. It is slightly less than 1 millimeter (one 

 twenty-fifth of an inch) in length and is deposited by the female at 

 the bottom of a small opening, usually near the base of the bud or 

 boll, and deep among the plant tissues. 



The larva. — Immediately after hatching the young larva is a white 

 legless grub only slightly longer than the egg itself. It feeds entirely 

 upon the inner tissue of the bud or boll and enlarges the cavity as it 

 grows. It soon assumes a ventrally curved, crescentic form and 

 when fully developed averages about 1 centimeter (two-fifths of an 

 inch) in length across the curve. 



The pupa. — The pupa is either pearly or creamy white and is very 

 delicate. The form of the legs, beak, and wings may be observed in 

 this stage. 



The adult. — When the weevil first transforms from the pupa to the 

 adult it is quite soft, weak, and very light in color. It hardens and 

 darkens in the course of a day or two and is then fully mature. It 

 is a stout, subovate beetle, with a long snout or proboscis. The 

 color varies from light golden brown to very nearly black, according 

 to the age and condition of the individual. When newly emerged 

 it is clothed with light-colored scales, but these frequently rub off in 

 the course of the activities of the weevil, and the darker color of 

 the body predominates. 



The size of the adult is also exceedingly variable and is deter- 

 mined largely by the food supply of the larva. In length adults 

 vary from 2.5 to 7 millimeters (one-tenth to one-fourth of an inch). 



NATURE OF DAMAGE TO COTTON. 



The actual damage of the weevil to cultivated cotton consists in 

 the direct attack upon both the buds and bolls. The adults feed by 

 making punctures with their long beaks deep into the tissues of these, 

 and several such punctures will prevent a bud from blooming or 

 will destroy the lock of the boll in which they are located. By 

 far the greater part of the injury, however, is due to the work of 

 the larval or "worm" stage. The female weevil deposits the egg 

 in the bud or boll and the one larva completely destroys the con- 

 tents of the bud or lock in which it is located. Within a few days 

 after the deposition of the egg the square "flares." That is, the 

 involucral bracts or greenish leaves, with which the bud is normally 



