Sciaphobus Squalidis

a beetle of the family Curculionidae, a dangerous pest of fruit trees, berry shrubs, and many deciduous forest species. The body, which is 5 to 7 mm long, is densely covered with black scales. The elytra are convex and oval, and the membranous wings are underdeveloped. Sciaphobus squalidis is incapable of flight. It is distributed in southern regions of European USSR. In early spring the sexually immature beetles, which have wintered in the soil, eat leaf buds, leaves, and flower buds. The insects feed only during the day. The female deposits ten to 40 eggs in mounds on leaves. Egg laying ends in mid-May. The hatched larvae, which fall to the ground and enter the soil to depths of 40 to 50 cm, feed on the rootlets of trees. In years of massive reproduction, the insect causes substantial harvest losses. Control measures include the application of insecticides in the spring, when the beetles feed.