THE PRINCIPAL INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE COCONUT 
PALM (PART 1). 
By CHARLES 8. BANKS. 
(From the Entomological Section, Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Science.) 
Among commercially valuable trees, few are attacked by as small a 
number of insect pests as the coconut (Cocos nucifera L.); but, on the 
other hand, the destructive action of this limited number is very great. 
The trunk of the coconut does not have its important conducting tissues 
in or immediately under the bark, as is true of the cacao, the coffee, or 
the mango. For this reason, even though the tree were completely 
girdled, it would not be destroyed, as would be the case with the plants 
above mentioned. On the other hand, insects attacking the growing point 
would soon kill this part, after which the remainder would speedily die, 
and, in fact, this result is the one which almost always is encountered. 
Certain insects enter the crown and destroy it; shortly afterwards, the 
leaves turn yellow, the fruits, if any are present, drop off, and the tree 
eventually dies. It is therefore clear that any method which prevents 
attacks of this kind will preserve the life of the tree. 
This paper will treat of some of the most important of the insects 
destructive to the coconut which have been identified, while those the 
habits and life histories of which are known but the determination of 
which has not yet been made will be a subject for further study. The 
observations upon the habits and life histories have been made both in the 
laboratory and in the field. I wish to take this opportunity of thanking 
Mr. W. Schultze for his hearty coéperation in this work and for the 
illustrations which he has furnished. 
THE RHINOCEROS BEETLE. 
Oryctes Rhinoceros L. (Tagalog, Vang). 
This insect belongs to the family Dynastide, or that of the giant 
beetles, a group in which, from the standpoint of body weight, the largest 
of the beetle tribe are found. ‘This beetle is very common throughout 
the Philippine Archipelago and in other countries of the East (Ceylon, 
Java, India, etc.) wherever the coconut tree is encountered. All of the 
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