. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. 384 THE PALM WEEVIL. also belong to the Weevils, and are the larvae of the Nut Weevil {Balaninus nucurri). All the members of this genus are remarkable for the extraordinary length of the snout, at the extremity of which are placed the iwwerful Jaws. Fig. a shows the beetle in its natural size, while in the other figures it is magnified. A foreign species, a native of Cayenne, is termed Balanhius prohoscideus, and is also remarkable for the inordinate length of the curved snout. While th
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. 384 THE PALM WEEVIL. also belong to the Weevils, and are the larvae of the Nut Weevil {Balaninus nucurri). All the members of this genus are remarkable for the extraordinary length of the snout, at the extremity of which are placed the iwwerful Jaws. Fig. a shows the beetle in its natural size, while in the other figures it is magnified. A foreign species, a native of Cayenne, is termed Balanhius prohoscideus, and is also remarkable for the inordinate length of the curved snout. While the nut is yet soft and undeveloped, the female Weevil boi'es a hole at the base of the fruit, deposits an egg therein, and makes the best of her way to another nut, which she treats in a similar manner. As the nut increases, the young grub feeds on tlic interior of the nut, which is at first soft and milky, so as to suit its infant needs, and by degrees hardens into a friuty sul)stance more fit for it after its jaws and digestive organs have acquired strength. After it has attained its full growth, it gnaws a round hole through the shell of the nut, allows itself to drop to the ground, buries itself below the surface, and in tlie ensuing autumn emerges in the perfect form. The common Corn Weevil {Calandra granaria) is perhaps the most destructive of its tribe, its depi'edations far exceeding those of the insects that destroy nuts, acorns, apples, chenies, flowers, and other vegetables. This pest of corn-dealers is of very small size, not larger than the capital letter at the beginning of this sentence, and is therefore able to make its way through very small crevices. Like the preceding species, it passes its larval existence within the grain on which it feeds, devours the whole of the interior, and then, gnawing its way through the shell, becomes transfonned in process of time into its perfect shape, which is that of a little long-beaked Weevil of dull red color, which, however
Size: 849px × 2942px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
