66 



INSECTS INJURIOUS TO GARDEN AND ORCHARD CROPS. 



Shallcrop, Locust Grove, Md., who stated that the beetles were injuring 

 tomato plants at that place. The beetles were taken May 17. 



The writer has noticed on various occasions the abundance of this 

 beetle on the leaves of young locust and blackberry, but particularly 

 on the former. Attempts to rear the species were unsuccessful, though 

 undertaken on two different occasions. Both. Mr. Pergande and the 

 writer are of the opinion that the larvae will be found eventually to feed 

 chiefly at the roots of some leguminous plant and quite possibly on 

 Cassia and perhaps locust, as the eggs were found in nature on the 

 former and the beetles occur commonly on the latter wild food plant. 



The beetle possesses the habit of " playing 'possum" or feigning 

 death, so prevalent in the rhynchophorous group, to a remarkable 

 degree, droppiug off its food plant upon the slightest disturbance, and 

 remaining with its legs and antennae tightly appressed to its body tor 

 some time before resuming activity. The writer has observed this 

 insect in rather more abundance upon plants growing on sandy soil, 

 and its colors harmonize with the same upon which it drops. 



EGG LAYING. 



A pair of this species received May 14, 1898, from Garfield, Ark., 

 and sent us under date of May 10, were placed in a small rearing jar 

 with leaves of strawberry May 16, and egg deposit ensued, as will be 

 shown by the accompanying figures, each numeral representing a sep- 

 arate batch of eggs. No eggs were found after May 24 until June 3, 

 the beetles continuing paired and evidently copulating until that time. 

 It is not impossible, however, though hardly probable, that eggs were 

 deposited during this time and escaped observation, as it was noticed 

 that after the death of the male, which occurred June 11, the female 

 frequently turned over one of the serrated points of a leaf and cemented 

 it so neatly to the leaf that it would not readily be noticed. In one 

 case a nidus thus formed was cut by the weevil from the leaf. 



Date. 



May 17-19 



May 19-20 



May 21-22 



May 23-24 



May 22-June 2 



June 3 



June 4 



June 5 



June 6 



June 7 



June 8 



June 9 



June 10 



June 11 



June 12 



June 13 



June 14 



June 15 



June 16 



June 17 , 



Number of 



batches. 



5,6 



4,7 



1, 2, 14, 3, 21 



11,21,24 







19 



19 



11 







15,9 



9 







11 



8 



19,4 



17 



20 



12 



9 



7,6 



Date. 



June 18 



June 19 . ... 

 June 20 ... . 

 June 21 .... 



June 22 



June 23.... 



June 24 



June 25-26 . 

 June 27 ... . 



June 28 



June 29 



June 30 



July 1.... 

 July 2.... 

 July 3-4 . . 



July 5 



July 6 



Total 



Number of 

 batches. 



19 



9 



8,3 



10 



13 







5,7,3 



9,7 



13 







15 



2,22 



11 



19 



18,6 



10,4 



5 







540 



