1234 



FAMILY LIV. BRUCHIDiE. 



In addition to the characters mentioned the Bruchidae have the 

 mentum transverse, more or less emarginate in front, its base sup-' 

 ported by a peduncle; maxillary palpi four-jointed, the terminal 

 joint slightly oval ; head free, usually denexed ; eyes large, more or 

 less emarginate in front ; antenna? 11- jointed, dentate or pectinate, 

 inserted at the side of the head in front of the eyes; thorax mar- 

 gined at the sides; elytra entire or truncate, pygidium always ex- 

 posed; front coxas oval, moderately prominent, the cavities closed 

 behind; hind coxa? transverse, narrowly separated; abdomen with 

 five free ventral segments; front and middle legs of moderate 

 length, their femora not dilated ; hind femora usually dilated and 

 often toothed ; tarsi with the first joint elongate and with the two 

 following densely clothed beneath with spongy pubescence, the 

 third joint deeply bilobed ; tarsal claws usually broadly toothed at 

 base. 



The larvae of these weevils live in the seeds of leguminous plants, 

 especially those of peas and beans, to which at times they cause 

 great injury. The eggs of the pea-weevil are laid upon the pod 

 while the peas are quite small, and when hatched the young bore 

 through the pod into the young peas and spend most of their lives 

 within the latter. Every person who eats peas in quantity has 

 doubtless swallowed hundreds of these small worms, but "where 

 ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be Avise. " The larva, before trans- 

 forming, eats a circular hole on one side of the pea, leading only a 

 thin scale, which is easily pushed away by the mature beetle. The 

 latter usually remains in the pea until spring and is often planted. 

 The seed peas should be placed in water and those which float 

 picked out and destroyed; or the peas should be placed in a close 

 receptacle and exposed for a few hours to a small quantity of car- 

 bon-bisulphide. 



The principal paper treating of the North American species of 

 the f amily is by 



Horn. — "Revision of the Bruchidas of the United States," in 

 Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, IV, 1873, 311-342. 



In this paper 55 species are recognized and distributed among 

 three genera; while one genus and about half a dozen species have 

 since been described. 



KEY TO INDIANA GENERA OF BRUCHIDJE. 



a. Hind tibiae with two slender jointed spurs; front coxae entirely sep- 

 arated by the presternum; size larger, 7-8 mm. I. Spermophagus. 

 aa. Hind tibiae without jointed spurs; front coxae very prominent, con- 

 tiguous; smaller," not over 5 mm. II. Bruchus. 



