Reports to the Board of Agriculture. 177 
this beetle has been recorded as annoying people of a night by nippin°‘ 
them when in bed (Taschenberg). Both larva and adult do the 
damage. They occur all the year round, but are most abundant in 
warm weather. The beetle is about one-tenth of an inch long, rich 
deep brown in colour, rather flattened and can easily be told by the 
curiously notched thorax, there being six distinct spines on each side 
and two more or less prominent median grooves above. The female 
lays her eggs amongst the meal, and from them come very active 
little larvae (Fig. 28), nearly white in colour, rather flattened, each 
segment having a darker median area ; the six jointed-legs, in front, 
are brown, and there is an anal proleg ; each segment has a few rather 
long pale hairs. When mature the larva reaches about one-fifth of 
an inch and then turns into the pupal stage where it lias been feeding ; 
sometimes a cocoon is formed of coarse meal and grain, at other times 
the pupa is naked, as usually occurs, when this pest invades and lives 
in flour and meal. 
In this country, it appears that the winter is passed in the mature 
condition, and reproduction ceases. The life-cycle varies in this 
country fiom five weeks to ten weeks. In America it is recorded as 
passing through all its stages in twenty-four days. 
The variation in time taken by them to mature depends upon 
temperature and the amount of food supply. 
They may be treated in the same way as the Corn Weevil. 
FlG. 27. — THE SAW-TOOTHED 
grain weevil ( Silvanus 
surinamensis, Linn.). 
N 
