58 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
Lockport. Since it requires two years to grow these plants and as 
the injury does not show until those blossoming wilt in the sun, 
there may be serious damage before the grower suspects the presence 
of an insect pest.° There are a number of records of this weevil 
injuring these plants, and also gloxinias, geraniums and other 
greenhouse plants. 
The beetles have been recorded as feeding on ferns by Johannsen 
and as eating the leaves of palms, lemon trees, Tradescantia and 
Dracaena’ by Britton. The grub is also known as a crown borer 
of strawberry, it working in this plant in much the same way as 
several other borers. Mr Lewis states that in his experience the 
pest confines itself to plants having a crown, such as gloxinias, 
tuberous begonias and cyclamen. In Tasmania it is counted as one 
of the worst strawberry pests. There is also a record of injury to 
Taxus and rhododendron plants in Europe as well as various garden 
vegetables, and Doctor Britton’ records injury to both Taxus and 
Retinospora in Connecticut, a number of valuable plants being 
killed. 
The parent beetle or weevil is nearly one-half of an inch in length, 
moderately stout, dark brown or black and marked with scattering 
spots of light brown, these usually extending all over the beetle, 
including the head, antennae and legs. 
The diversified food habits of this insect and the probability that 
under greenhouse conditions breeding may be more or less con- 
tinuous, make it difficult to suggest satisfactory preventive or 
control measures for this root or crown pest. It is desirable in the 
case of greenhouses to exercise every reasonable precaution to pre- 
vent the introduction of plants infested by this insect. We would 
suggest in the case of cyclamens and primroses examining some of 
the plants, especially the less thrifty ones, in October or November 
_or at least a month before blooming and in case grubs were found 
in the crowns or working on the roots, experimenting with a creosote 
solution, starting with an ounce or two to a gallon of*water and 
increasing the amount if there is no injury to the plants. Carbon 
bisalphide has been used but apparently is of little value. There 
is a possibility that several sprayings or waterings with a tobacco 
soap preparation at the usual strength for plant lice at approxi- 
mately two-week intervals in late October or November would 
have considerable preventive and possibly remedial value. Enough 
*tg09 Conn. Agri. Exp. Sta. 8th Rep’t of State Ent., p. 846. 
21914 Conn. Agri. Exp. Sta. 13th Rep’t, p. 230. 
