112 



portions of the plant. This beetle is Tomarus bitubercula- 

 tu8t Beaud a large, shiny, black beetle of the typical 

 hard-back form (Fig. 120). Perhaps the only satisfactory 

 remedy is to dig out affected plants as soon as dis- 



Fig'. 129. Banana borer. 

 About \\ times natural size. (Original.) 



covered, and destroy the beetle grubs, taking care 

 before replanting the hole that all grubs in the soil have 

 been destroyed. 



Bananas are also attacked by a small weevil borer 

 (Sphenophorus sordidus, German), which is closely related 

 to the weevil borer of the sugar-cane, but is rather smaller 

 and of a more uniform dark colour than that insect. 

 In Trinidad, the larva of the giant moth borer (Castnia 

 licus) is known as a borer in the stem of banana plants. 



YAMS. 



The roots of yams will often be seen to be more or less 



v 3 



Fig. 130. Yam scale. 



Enlarged. (Imperial 



Dept. A gric r ) 



covered with a small whitish or 

 greyish scale insect (Fig. 130). 

 This is Aspidiotus hartii, Ckll. 

 Under ordinary circumstances, 

 this scale does very little damage. 

 An abundance of these insects 

 probably hastens the drying 

 up of the roots and increases 

 the shrivelled appearance. Scale 

 infested roots should not be 



