8 
BULLETIN 1303, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
weevil. The adults were not only causing a general infestation of the 
grain, but were opening the cartons to the attack of other grain pests 
by boring small holes in their efforts to escape, similar to those made 
in pill boxes and shown in Figure 6. The entire shipment was con- 
demned. 
Injury by the larvae consists in the destruction, by feeding, of a 
larger or smaller part of the kernel, and in the fouling of the seed by 
their excrement. The development of one granary weevil larva will 
reduce the weight of a wheat kernel over 50 per cent and the adult 
before leaving the kernel may destroy even more. The destruction 
caused in all grains depends largely upon the abundance of the larvae. 
Fig. 3.— Wheat kernels damaged not only by development of larvae but by continued feeding of 
adult beetles of the granary weevil. These kernels are reduced to mere skeletons and can be 
crushed flat as paper by the least pressure 
Horses and other stock have been reported at times injured by being 
fed weeviled grain or other grain products filled with the feces and 
other debris left in the grains when these are infested. Recent 
investigation by Riley (57) and Defiel (17) show that the granary 
weevil lias no poisonous qualities. The writers have seen very badly 
weeviled grain fed to animals without bad results and have yet to estab- 
lish a clear instance in which injury to animals was caused by weevils. 
Badly infested seeds, particularly wheat (fig. 3) are rendered 
worthless for seeding. 
The destructive possibilities of the granary weevil were clearly 
shown during the World War when immense quantities of wheat were 
stored in Australia, a considerable quantity of it, owing to a lack of 
snipping, being held in storage for several years. This wheat became 
