Saw-toothed Grain Weevil. 



227 



generally omnivorous it has a strong liking for cereals and 

 farinaceous substances. It is recorded as attacking, amongst 

 other things, red pepper, mace, yeast, tobacco, and preserved 

 fruits. Bags in which meal, flour, &c. are kept may be 

 perforated by it, and in one instance this beetle has been 

 recorded as annoying people at night by nipping them when 

 in bed. Both larva and adult do damage. They occur all the 

 year round, but are most abundant in warm weather. 



The beetle is about one-tenth of an inch long, and of a rich 

 deep brown colour. It is rather flat, and can easily be recognised 

 by the curiously notched thorax, there being six distinct spines 

 on each side and two more or less prominent grooves above- 

 in the middle. The female lays her eggs in the meal, &c, and 

 from them come very active little larvae, nearly white in colour 

 and rather flat. Each segment of the grub has a darker area 

 in the middle. When mature the larva reaches about one-fifth 

 of an inch, and then turns into the pupa where it has been 

 feeding ; sometimes a cocoon is formed of coarse meal and 

 grain ; at other times the pupa is naked, as usually occurs 

 when this pest invades and lives in flour and meal. 



It would appear that the winter is passed in this country in 

 the mature condition. The life cycle varies in this country 

 from five to ten weeks. In America it is recorded as passing 

 through all its stages in twenty-four days. The variation in 

 time taken to mature depends upon temperature and amount 

 of food supply. 



It may be treated in the same way as the Corn Weevil, 

 described in Vol. VIII., p. 358, of this Journal, viz., if the store 

 house or barn is fairly airtight, by fumigating with bisulphide of 

 carbon. Meal rooms should be well cleaned out and all refuse 

 burned. Thoroughly scrubbing down with hot soft soap and 

 water would probably be effective. 



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