2 



controlled and its widespread distribution throughout the islands 

 of the group prevented. The present limited knowledge of the 

 mango weevil is herewith presented to aid those interested in 

 the problem in formulating an outline of warfare. 



ITS HISTORY 



Mr. E. A. Schwarz, of the United States Bureau of Ento- 

 mology, to whom the writer is indebted for the determination 

 of the mango weevil, says in a letter, under date of July 26, 1905 : 



The weevil is Crypt or hynchus mangiferae, originally described by 

 Fabricius (Systema Entomol., p. 139, 1774) without locality. Since that 

 time it has often been described and figured. I think that, after all, 

 the best description is that by Boheman in Schoenherr's Gen. et. Spec. 

 Cure, vol. IV, pt. I, p. 91. Its original home is uncertain, for since 

 many years it has spread (no doubt through the agency of man) through- 

 out the "Oriental Region" from Madagascar through India, Ceylon, etc., 

 to Java and other Malayan Islands. It probably occurs now also in 

 many of the islands of the Pacific Ocean, although I fail to find any 

 records. The species is not enumerated by Sharp from the Hawaiian 

 Islands and is no doubt a recent introduction there. 



The weevil appears to be extremely injurious to mangoes, and ac- 

 counts of its ravages are numerous. The literature is, however, net 

 • easily accessible, the most available reports being in the "Indian Museum 

 Notes" (at several places). A paper on the mango weevil by Mr. Sim- 

 mons, read before the Calcutta Microscopical Society is referred to in 

 .Nature, Vol. 37, 1888, March 22, p. 492, and there seems to be a full ac- 

 count in a work (which I have not seen) entitled "Les insectes nuisibles 

 au Manguier a l'ele Maurice" par D. L'Emmery de Charnoy, Paris, 1898. 

 The oldest economic and illustrated account appears to be by Hubner in 

 ■the "Naturforscher," vol. XXIV, 1789, a publication quite unknown to 

 me. Larva and pupa are tolerably well figured in the "Indian Museum 

 Notes." 



The following is taken from an article by Mr. E. C. Cotes in 

 ithe "Indian Museum Notes'' : 1 



1 E. C. Cotes, Further Notes on Insect Pests, Indian Museum Notes, 

 •Calcutta, vol. I, 1889-1891, No. 11, The Mango Weevil (Cryptorhync/ius 

 mangiferae) , pp. 45-46. Plate. (Taken from a paper by W. J. Simmons 

 ;in the Journal of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India, 

 Volume VIII, Part II, new series.) 



