COL E OP TER A* 
593 
Family CURCULIONID^E (Cur-cu-li-on'i-dae). 
The Curculios ( Cur-cu'H-os ) or Weevils . 
The Curculionidae is the most important of the families 
of snout-beetles; it includes more than one half of all the 
Rhynchophora found in this country, and some of the most 
destructive insect pests. In this family there is on the 
lower side of each wing-cover a strong fold near the outer 
margin, which limits a deep groove in which the upper edge 
of the abdomen fits; the mandibles have no scar; the 
antennae are usually elbowed, and have a ringed or solid 
club; the tarsi are usually dilated, with the third segment 
bilobed and spongy beneath ; in a few cases the tarsi are 
narrow, but not spinose beneath. 
The larvae are soft, white, maggot-like grubs destitute of 
feet. They feed chiefly on fruits, seeds, and nuts ; but all 
parts of plants are subject to their attacks. 
In laying her eggs, the female first bores a hole with her 
snout, then drops an egg into this hole, and finally pushes 
the egg to the bottom of the hole with her 
snout. In many species the snout is highly 
developed for this purpose ; sometimes it is 
twice as long as the remainder of the body. 
This is well shown in the acorn-weevils and 
the nut-weevils, which belong to the genus 
Balaninus (Ba-lan'i-nus). Figure 724 repre¬ 
sents Balaninus quercus (B. quer'cus) resting Fic * 7*4- 
on an acorn ; the specimen figured, when found had her snout 
inserted in the acorn up to the antennae. 
Of the closely allied species B. rectus (B. rec'tus) breeds 
in acorns, B . nasicus (B. na-si'cus) in hickory-nuts, and B. 
caryatrypes (B. car-y-a-try'pes) in chestnuts. 
Probably the most important member of this family from 
an economic standpoint is the Plum Curculio, Conotrcichelus 
nenuphar (Con-o-tra-che'lus nen'u-phar). This is the insect 
that stings plums, often destroying a large proportion of the 
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