The rice-weevil (ralandra oryzer ) is eC0110111 jet, Hy a very import ant beetle, wh kb infests stored rice. (See llicc1NsEcrA.) ralaiulra turrunt or Rhynrophorus palmurain is the 'palm' weevil, and does great damage to cocoa palms.
Its larvae are roasted and eaten by the natives of tropical America. I Se' TI) this group belong the bill-bugs of the genus Spheno idioms, whose larva live on the roots of Corn and other grains and grasses. One species (Sphcnophorus obscurus) infests sugar cane in the Pacific Islands. The Scolytithe are the 'hark' or 'engraver' beetles, whieli burrow be tween the hark and wood of trees, even in the wood, leaving the visible tunnels. When numerous enough they kill trees or else greatly damage the wood for commercial purposes. Sec BARK BEETLE : AA: BROSIA BEETLE.
The Bruchida), of which there arc about 700 species, are not snout-beetles, although are commonly called 'weevils.' Iliev are small, usually dull:colored stout beetles. The legless larvte are fat maggots which live in the seeds of plants, mainly of the family Leguminosa). One species (Bruchus visi), which is the largest pea and bean feeding weevil found in North America, has caused the abandonment of pea cultivation in sonic sections of the United States. Since it
does not thrive in cold countries, Canadian peas find a ready market in the United States. The eggs are laid on the very young pea-pod. The larvae, on hatching. bore through the pod and into the pea. from which the beetle emerges in the spring. Bruchus obtect ns, a very formidable enemy of bean culture, not only breeds in the young pod, but also in stored beans. Infested beans will float in water; they should not be planted.
Certain other beetles inhabiting flour (e.g. Sil vanus Surinamensis of the family Cucujidoe, Tribolhim confusion of the family Tenebrionlhe, and Trogosita ilauritanira of the family Trogosi tidtr) and stored grain have erroneously been called weevils. Even a lepidopterous insect, the Angomnois grain-moth (Silotragu on-raid/a), is known in the Southern United States as the 'fly weevil.' See ChuAIN INSECTS.
Consult: Sharp, Cambridge :Vatitral History, vi. (London. 1901) : Comstock, Manual for the Study of Insects; Chittenden, Year Book of the Department of Agriculture (Washington.
159S) ; Howard, Circulars 6, 27, 33, Division of Entomology, United States Department of Agricult u re (Washington, 1895) : Hunter. Farm ers' Bulletin 163, United States Department of Agriculture (Washington, 1903).