THE MEXICAN GRAIN BEETLE. 
(Pharaxonotha hirschi Reitt.) 
By F. H. Chittenden, Sc. D. } 
In Charge of Truck Crop and Stored Product Insect Investigations. 
INTRODUCTORY. 
Among grain-feeding insects which have not yet been permanently 
introduced into this country as pests, but which have come repeatedly 
under observation, is a clavicorn beetle, Pliaraxonoiha JcirscM Reitt. 
(fig. 1). This was one of the living species observed by the writer 
infesting stored grain in the foreign exhibits at the World's Colum- 
bian Exposition and was more abundantly distributed throughout 
these exhibits toward the end of the fall of 1893. At the time of its 
discovery it was practi- 
cally unknown to Amer- 
ican scientists, with the 
exception of Dr. George 
H. Horn. 
The Bureau of Ento- 
mology has also to record 
two reports of the occur- 
rence of this species in 
stored corn in Mexico, 
one dated 1902 and the 
other 1910, as follows: 
December 3, 1902, Mr. 
A. L. Herrera, of the City 
of Mexico, sent a sam- 
ple of stored corn from 
Tlaxiaco, State of Oax- 
aca, infested with this 
and other species of in- 
sects which have been previously identified with injury of this nature 
in Central America. 
During the winter of 1910 complaints were made through Mr. Ed. 
Los McCue, of the Cafetal Carlota Co., Oaxaca, of injury by weevils to 
corn, and on February 26 the specimens in question reached this office* 
Upon examination the principal injiny proved to be due to the rice 
weevil (Calandra oryza L.), while the square-necked grain beetle 
(Cathartus gemellatus Duv. ) and the Mexican grain beetle were also 
FlG. 1. — The Mexican grain beetle (Pharaxonotha kirschi); a 
Beetle; o, larva; c, pupa; d, leg of larva; e, antenna of larva. 
o, o, c, Much enlarged; d, e, more enlarged. (Original.) 
