UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 922 
&* ~ . _ -_. . ■*] 
s&r^ri. 
Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 
L.O.HOWARD, Chief 
Washington, D. C. 
PROFESSIONAL PAPER 
December 21, 1920 
CLOVER-LEAF WEEVIL. 
By 
D. G. Tower and F. A. Fenton, 
Cereal and Forage Crop Insect Investigations. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introductory 1 
Distribution . . 1 
Description 2 
Adult 2 
Egg 3 
Larva 3 
Cocoon 5 
Pupa , 5 
Food plants and injury 6 
Page. 
Life history 6 
Life cycle .• 6 
Copulation 11 
O viposition 11 
Habits 12 
Feeding experiments 12 
Natural enemies 16 
Control 18 
Literature cited 18 
INTRODUCTORY. 
The clover-leaf weevil, Hypera punctata Fab. (fig. 1), ranks as 
one of the important clover pests. Although it is usually unnoticed, 
it annually exacts its toll of the crop. It seldom devastates entire 
fields, however, because the larvae are ordinarily checked by an 
ever-present fungous disease which spreads rapidly and reduces their 
numbers to a negligible quantity in a remarkably short time. 
DISTRIBUTION. 
This insect was introduced accidentally into this country from 
Europe, where it is well known. It also occurs in northern Asia and 
probably in central Asia and China. So far as known it is the only 
species of Hypera that has reached this country, the genus being 
indigenous to the eastern hemisphere. 
The first record of Hypera punctata occurring as a pest in the 
United States was in 1881 when a severe outbreak occurred at Bar- 
rington, N. Y. A single specimen taken about 1850-1855 in Canada 
by the Geological Survey and identified by Dr. LeConte in 1876 
shows that this species had been in America for some time before 
becoming noticeable or seriously injurious. 
15131°— 20— Bull. 922 1 
