98 



No damage by this .species in the larval stage has been observed, 

 and it seems probable that although the insects may attack the roots 

 and rootlets of growing vegetation, that the}^ subsist mainly upon that 

 which is dying or decayed, and, to a certain extent, also upon soil 

 humus, which contains an excess of decomposing vegetable matter. 

 In this respect it is probable that it resembles the habits of our Eastern 

 rose-chafer, Macrodactylus subs_pinosus, although the habits of this 

 latter are not perfectly known. Mr. Schwarz observed that in spite 

 of the frequent plowing to which the ground is subjected about 

 Fresno, that it has little effect upon the emergence of the beetles, 

 presumably because th.zy pass through their transformations so deeply 

 in the soil that the plow does not reach them. Where the ground is 

 not plowed it may often be found fairly honeycombed where the 

 beetles have made their exit. The beetles have been observed to crawl 

 back into these holes, presumably for oviposition, and this seems to 

 be a natural habit. Unfortunately, the pressure of other work at 

 the time these observations were made prevented Mr. Schwarz from 

 continuing his investigations. 



REMEDIES. 



Until we learn more of the life history of this species we can only 

 suggest observations of the same line of remedial and preventive treat- 

 ment prescribed in the case of the rose-chafer in Circular No. 11, sec- 

 ond series, of this office. 



THE ROSE CTJRCULIO. 



(JRhynchites bicolor Fab.) 



May 16, 1900, Mr. Thomas Redmayne, Washington, Nevada County, 

 Cal., wrote of the depredations of this species, specimens of which he 

 sent. He stated that the curculio appears about the middle of May, 

 or as soon as warm weather sets in, and confines its injuries to rose 

 bushes, puncturing the flower buds; and that, even when occurring in 

 small numbers, these beetles are able to destro} T an entire crop of 

 flowers in a small garden, as in fact they had done for the last two 

 years on our correspondent's place. When cool weather sets in, about 

 September, they disappear. 



Hand-picking was resorted to, but without avail, for no matter if 

 every beetle seen was destroyed about the same number could be 

 found next day. 



It was noticed that the beetles had the habit, in common with many 

 other curculios, of dropping to the ground when disturbed, and they 

 were captured by placing a hand under them very cautiously and 

 catching them as they dropped. 



