28 
SNOUT-BEETLES OR WEEVILS. 
A few species of snout-beetles or weevils have been observed attack- 
ing sugar beet at various times, but with the exception of the imbri- 
cated snout-beetle these insects are of little importance as beet pests; 
in fact, only one species other than that habitually does material harm 
to beet plants. The species in question {Tanymecus conferhts Gjdl.) 
was once notably injurious to sugar beet in Nebraska. It was observed 
by Professor Bruner first on cocklebur, lambsquarters, and smart weed, 
after devouring which it completely destroyed the beets in a 12-acre 
field. Injury by this class of insects in beet fields is by the beetles, 
the larvae feeding on the roots of weeds and wild plants, 
THE IMBRICATED SNOUT-BEETLE. 
{Epicserus imbricatus Say. ) 
The imbricated snout- beetle is a common insect of the field, garden, 
and orchard, and capable of committing considerable injury to a variety 
of useful plants in- 
cluding sugar beet and 
various other vegeta- 
bles, such as beans 
and pease. 
It is one of our 
largest snout-beetles, 
measuring nearly half 
an inch in length, and 
7 > 7 has the bod}^ covered 
Fig. 23.—Epicxrus imbricatus: a, female beetle; b, same from side; Wltn minutC lUlbri- 
c, newly hatched larva; d, same from side; e, egg; /, egg mass. — catcd SCalcS (whenCG 
a, b, about three times natural size; /, two times; c, d, e, more , -i . , , \ j-U 
enlarged (author's illustration, Division of Entomology). tU.Q inSCCt S namej, tUQ 
lighter portions ap- 
pearing brownish gray, and the darker light brown, forming a pattern 
as shown in figure 23, a, and h. The head is prolonged into a short 
broad snout, with elbowed antennae and the elytra or wing covers 
terminate in a point. Both sexes are wingless. 
It is well distributed, occurring in most States, except the more 
northern ones, east of the Rock}^ Mountain range. It does not appear 
to be found north of the Upper Austral life zone. This distribution 
includes localities from the neighborhood of New York City south- 
ward to Texas and westward to Colorado and Utah. 
In addition to the plants that have been mentioned as furnishing 
food for this species, it has been observed doing more or less injury 
to onion, radish, cabbage, cucumber, watermelon, muskmelon, squash, 
corn, potato,- and tomato, among vegetables; apple, cherry, and pear 
trees; raspberr}^, blackberry, and gooseberry bushes; and to feed on 
grasses and clover, and some forms of weeds. 
