Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1904-02-13
Mexican Cotton Boil WeeviI.

We give below description OF
the origin and life habits of the
the Mexican boil weevil, at this time
so much discussed and dreaded by
the cotton farmers of the South.
The article is from the pen of Prof.
Glenn W. Herrick, entomologist Of
the Mississippi experiment station,
which we believe will prove of much
interest to our readers, and is as fol-
lows:
Probably, no pest has appeared on
cotton within the last twety years that
has caused as much general uneasi-
ness as the Mexican cotton boil wee
vii is now causing. Moreover, every
indication points to the fact that this
is the most serious pest that has ever
attacked the cotton plant In America.
The value Of the cotton crop to this
State and the fact that this insect has
now entered the State of Louisiana In
at least two points, make 1t almost
imperative that every cotton grower
should know something of the boil
weevil, its appearance, habits and his
tory.
THE weevil, originally, came from
Mexico and probably crossed the Rio
Grande about 1898 and the year fol-
loving 1t attracted considerable at
tention in Texas by its destructive
ness. 1t Is a greyish beetle, rather
chocolate In color when mature, and
is from one-fourth to three.eighths of
an inch in length. The weevi has
long. bunt snout. ald the back, sides
and legs are covered with fine hairs.
THE eggs are laid in the squares,
forms or bolls by the parent beetle.
The young grub that matches from the
egg, Immediately begins to eat out the
tender inside portions Of the square,
form or boil The squares In which
the grubs are living flare and fall
to the ground. The grub, after eat
ing and growing for two or three
weeks, turls to quiet, whitish look
ing object inside the square form, or
boil. This is known as the pupa. AT.
ter about one week the adult weevil
comes forth and soon begins laying
eggs for another generation Of wee.
wills.
"The weevils pass the winter as full
grown beetles in cracks, crevices, etc,
under the bark of trees, and under all
kinds of trash and rubbish about the
farm and In the gin house and other
out buildings. They also hide among
cotton seed, in partially grown bolls,
and in the ground about the roots Of
cotton stalks. All the eggs grubs and
pupa that may be in the squares,
forms, or bolls In the autumn are kill.
ed before spring by the frosts. Only
the mature weevils are able to sur
vive the winter and many of these,
that go into winter quarters in the
utumn, are killed before spring.
"These insects increase during the
summer very rapidly. 1t has been es-
timated that one pair of beetles will
give rise to over three quarters of a
million of weevils before October. 1t
Is necessary thea, that the cotton
should mature as early in the season
as possible before the weevil has be-
como so abundant.
"The dangers Of importing this in
sect into the State of Mississippi are
very great. We have seen that the
adult insect hibernates around gins
and out houses and among cotton seed
and baled hay. Moreover, Prof. Mally
says, the egg Is deposited so late in
the season that the larvae barely has
time to eat into the seed before the
boil opens. Hence the cotton Is some
times gathered and ginned before the
larvae has become full grown 1t
consequently often happens that adult
weevils are found in the seed later
on. Nothing is easier than that this
insect should be carried from place to
place in shipments of cotton seed,
cotton huls, baled cotton, baled hay,
etc.
''ln the face Of the above facts, the
need of an efficient system Of quar-
antine is too obvious to need dis
cussion."