DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME WEEVILS REARED FROM 

 COTTON IN PERU.' 



By W. D WIGHT Pierce, 



Entomological Assistant, Bureau of Entomology. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Some of the most important pests to Peruvian cotton culture are 

 weevils. Through the kindness of Mr. C. H. T. Townsend, Ento- 

 mologist of Peru, a number of species reared by him from cotton 

 stalks, squares, and bolls have been received by the writer. Inas- 

 much as there has been more or less commerce between Peru and the 

 United States in cotton seed it has been thought best to present de- 

 tailed descriptions of these species together with what little informa- 

 tion has already been gleaned as to their habits. 



A collection of weevils taken on cotton in Brazil will form the sub- 

 ject of a later paper. 



The weevils to be described herein are arranged according to their 

 systematic order. All belong to the series Phytophaga, although the 

 bruchids, or bean weevils, of the family Mylabridse do not belong to 

 the subseries Rhynchophora, which contains the true weevils. 



Family MYLABRIDiE. 



Subfamily MYLABRIN^. 



Three species of bruchids, or ''bean weevils," were received from 

 Mr. Townsend, all of them suspected of breeding in cotton squares. 

 While it is not unusual to find these beetles on cotton squares at 

 nectar, no species has yet been definitely reared from cotton. On the 

 other hand, there are species known positively to breed in the seed 

 of other Malvaceae. In view of the possibility of their being true 

 cotton weevils they are included here. From the standpoint of in- 

 spection work they should by all means be excluded from the United 

 States, because if not cotton weevils they most assuredly are legumi- 

 nous seed weevils, and hence potentially dangerous. 



Genus MYLABRIS Geoffrey. 



The genus Mylabris is very complex as it now stands, for it in- 

 cludes all the species formerly associated with Bruchus which have 

 not yet been separated from the typical genus. 



1 All the illustrations, with the exception of Plate I, figure 4, which was drawn by the writer, have 

 been prepared under the writer's direction by Mr. Harry L. Bradford. 



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