29 
The larva is subterranean in habit, but the mature larva and the pupa 
are unknown, as is also the larval food plant. A female beetle kept by 
the writer from May till July deposited eggs almost daily, 640 in num- 
ber, and it was not known how many eggs had been laid prior to that 
time. The beetle possesses the habit so common to snout-beetles of 
"playing 'possum" or feigning death when disturbed, dropping off its 
food plant on the slightest disturbance and remaining for some time 
before resuming activity. ^' 
A beetle parasitized by a fungus {SjyoTotriclium. globuUfe/rum f) is 
illustrated in figure 24. 
The imbricated snout-beetle is one of many species of insects which 
are sporadic as regards injurious attack and 
troublesome onl}' in seasons following a year 
which has been favorable to the increase of 
individuals. The beetles are not restricted 
to wild plants even in years of scarcity, but 
are found over the area which they inhabit 
on cultivated or other useful plants every 
year. Fortunately the beetle is not only 
irregular as to destructive occurrences, but is 
omnivorous as well, subsisting on one plant 
quite as well as another, thus distributing 
attack. 
Heonedies. — This species will yield to the 
same remedies in use against the Colorado 
potato beetle. On plants resistant to arsen- 
icals, such as potato, Paris green applied as 
a spray at the rate of a pound to 100 gallons 
of water is effective, while on less resistant 
plants, such as peach and bean, a weaker 
spray — about 1 pound to 150 gallons of water — or one in which 
arsenate of lead is the poison, is necessary to avoid scalding the 
foliage. Arsenicals can also be used dry, mixed with about 10 parts 
of cheap flour or lime, and applied to the infested plants by means 
of a hand bellows. 
The beetles maybe readily dislodged from affected plants by jarring 
them with a pole or stick upon ''curculio catchers" of strong cloth 
stretched on frames and mounted on wheels or runners. If the cloth 
is saturated with kerosene, it will kill them; or, as they make little or 
no effert to escape, they may be easily taken from the ''catchers" and 
killed by burning or by pouring scalding water over them. 
Eventually this snout-beetle will probably become rare owing to its 
being wingless, when it rnay be replaced by other species having well 
developed wings. 
Fig. 24. — Epicserus imbricatus: bee- 
tle attacked by fungus— three 
times natural size (author's illus- 
tration, Division of Entomol- 
ogy). 
« A more detailed account is given in Bui. 19, n. s. , Di v. Ent. , pp. 62-67. 
