Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-11-02

TIE GRAIN "WEEVILS."
Their Rate 70 Development So Hap
Id That They DO an Almost In
calculable Amount of Mischief.

All the various species of insects
that attack stored grain are indis-
criminatcly called wcevils, or simply
"weevil," but the only true grain Wee
wills are the granary and rice weevil.
These two insects resemble each other
in structure as well as in habit. They
are small, hattened, brown snout, bee
ties of the family of Calapdridae.
Neither is more than sixth of an
inch in length, but their rate of de-
velopment is so rapid that they do
an almost incalculable amount of in
jury in short period of time. Their
heads are prolonged into long snout
or proboscis, at the end of which are
the mandibles; their antenae are ell
bowed and attached to the proboscis.
The granary weevil has been known
as an enemy to stored grain since the
earliest times. Having become domes-
ticated ages ago, it has long since lost
the use of its wings and is strictly an
indoor species. The mature weevil
measures from an eighth of to the
sixth of an inch--is of uniform shin
ing chestnut brown in color and has
the thorax sparsely ard longitudinal
ly punctured.
The larva is legless, considerably
shorter than the adult, white in color,
very robust and fleshy. The female
punctures the grain with her snout
and then inserts an egg, from which
is hatched a larva that devours the
mealy interior and undergoes its
transformation in the hull. In wheat
and other small cereals a single larva
inhabits a grain, but kernel of corn
furnishes food for several individuals.
The midsummer period from egg to
adult is about six weeks, and there
may be, under favorable conditions,
| four or five broods in the north, and
as many as six or seven in the south.
This species is injurious to wheat,
corn and barley and other grains, and
| attacks, also, the chick flea (Cicer
arietinum) food product of the trop-
les. Unlike the moths which attack
| grain, the adult weevils feed upon
the kernels, gnawing into them Cor
food and for shelter, and being quite
long-lived, probably do even more
damage than their larva. This species
is very prolific, egg laying continuing
over an extended period. IL has been
estimated that one pair will, in the
course of year, produce 6,000 de-
scendants, and it will be seen that the
progeny of single pair are capable
in a short time, of causing considera'
bic damage. In the state of Texas
alone the annual loss from this III
sect and rats is estimated at $1,000,
600. and the loss from granary insects
TO the corn crop of Alabama in lS9;
was estimated $1,671,3S2 or about ter
per cent. Estimating the annual loss
in the same proportions, we would
have for these eight southern states
South Carolina, Georgia, Florida
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tex
as and Arkansas, total of nearly
$20,O00,000 and this to corn alone.
In regard to the susceptibility o.
different grains to weevil attack, il
may be said that unhuslled rice, oat.
and buckwheat are practically ex
empt, but the hull of barley offers less
protection to the seeds. Husked ol
hulled grains are naturally more ex
posed to infestation, and the softel
varieties suffer more than do tn,
harder, flinty sorts.
Nearly all of the grain-feeding spe
cies in the United States, have beer
introduced and arc now cosmopolitan
having been distributed by commerce.
to all quarters of the earth. Upward
of forty species occur commonly il
granaries, these living Throughout
their adolescent stages within tn,
kernel of the grain.
A few of the representatives." are
the bisulphide of carbon. By reason
of its intensive action, this is the bes
known remedy against all insects tina
affect stored products. Prompt thresh
ing, inspection, quartering, disinfec
ton, scrupulous cleanliness in tn
matter of bins and grain bags is sug
; gested as being along the proper lin
for the determination of the pest o
preventing them from doing grea
damage.-F. Ii. Chittenden, in Ameri
can Farm.