64 MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS OF WORK OF BUREAU — IX. 



latus, but highly inimical to the cotton boll weevil. Numbers of 

 these parasites, together with Eurytoma tylodermatis Ashm., which 

 also attacks the boll weevil, matured during the following June and 

 July from another lot of old berries infested by the immature stages 

 of Arsecerus fasciculatus, the material having been collected by Mr. 

 Cushman on June 11. Other species of parasites were reared from 

 these lots, but so far remain undetermined. The latest date recorded 

 for the emergence of weevils in confinement was July 11, but under 

 natural conditions these insects probably breed continuously through- 

 out the season in berries which are apt to be hanging on trees or 

 falling from them at all times of the year. 



During the past year opportunities permitted me to make personal 

 observations upon the work of these weevils in chinaberries. While 

 at San Augustine, Tex., on March 22, my attention was drawn to an 

 infestation occurring in both fallen and hanging berries. Fallen ber- 

 ries in a soft, shriveled, or rotting condition frequently contained 

 well advanced larval stages. Seldom were more than one or two 

 grubs found in a berry. The larvae in hanging berries were gener- 

 ally younger. Some of the hanging berries contained very small 

 grubs, evidently newly hatched, that had scarcely begun working in 

 the firm pulp. The falling of infested berries seemed to be induced 

 by the softened condition resulting from the more advanced work of 

 the larvae, and the pupal stage must necessarily be passed in fallen 

 berries. Collections of these berries were placed in breeding boxes, 

 and adult weevils emerged from April 16 until June 16, but no para- 

 sites appeared, probably because of the earliness of the collection. 

 On March 25, at Longview, Tex., the species was again taken by me, 

 but only fallen berries were examined. A live adult was removed 

 from one berry. 



At Monroe, La., on the 21st of the same month, Mr. R. A. Cushman 

 made an interesting find in regard to a new enemy of the coffee-bean 

 weevil. In a number of infested berries one weevil larva was found 

 to be attacked by a new species of mite belonging to the genus 

 Pediculoides. This mite is also known as an enemy of boll weevil 

 larvae. 



HABITS IN GENERAL. 



Previously published records of Arsecerus fasciculatus show it to be 

 a common insect in warm climates, and that it has no particular 

 food preferences. It is as likely to be found breeding in beans or 

 any stored dry vegetable products, including dried fruits, as in dry 

 pithy stalks, and is commonly found breeding as a scavenger in dry 

 decayed cotton bolls. In common with most other weevils, the 

 adults feign death for a short time when disturbed, and then suddenly 

 become active and seek to escape. 



