15 9 



wood a suitable place for laying their eggs which are deposited in the 

 crannies or (inequalities of the exposed cut-su rfaces. 



The beetles will assemble in large numbers for this purpose when 



they can be readily caught and destroyed. 



While the beetles are visiting the cut tree, a watch should be set 

 lor the purpose of catching them as they arrive during the day, and 

 the place should be visited several times during the night for the same 

 purpose. 



If the egg is not laid, no larva? will hatch, and no mature beetles 

 will be produced, and the egg clearly cannot We laid if the mature 

 insects are destroyed as soon as they come to the point of attraction. 



Few persons would believe unless they see ior themselves what a 

 large quantity of beetles will appear, and if a careful watch is set over 

 a cut tree, the numbers that will be caught will most assuredly lessen 

 the danger of attack on a coconut plantation. 



If it is found that some beetles, escaping detection, have deposited 

 their eggs, they may be allowed to grow in the woody material for a 

 time, but should be destroyed before they arrive at the chrysalis 

 stage. 



By following the method described it is certain that the attack 

 of beetles can be well kept in check on coconut plantations. 



If it is found that a coconut tree is badly attacked, this itself 

 should be at once cut and used as the attraction ; as it is seldom a tree 

 once attacked will recover sufficiently to be profitable, and it is clearly 

 better to cut away the tree and use it for this purpose, rather than 

 allow the insects to mature in a standing tree and be free to attack 

 its neighbour as the insects arrive at their winged stage. 



It must be understood by those who are unacquainted with insect 

 life that it is not the mature insect which causes the damage to the 

 trees, but the Larvae or Worms which hatch from the egg, laid by 

 the mature insects. 



To summarize the above — 



1st. Cut down a suitable Palm tree and divide it into lengths 

 some of which should be split. 



2nd. Set a watch for the arrival of the insects, catch and 

 destroy night and day until no more are seen. 



3rd. The decayed material of the cut tree should be searched 

 for larvce which may have been hatched from eggs 

 deposited by beetles which escaped observation, and the 

 remainder of the tree should be burned, as soon as dry 

 enough for the purpose. 



The mature insects though large are quite harmless and 

 may be collected by women or children, and can readily 

 be destroyed by a slight blow. 



In connection with the above it may be mentioned that the 

 Gru-gru worm or Larvce of the Palm beetle is considered a veritable 

 bonne bouche by many Trinidad families, and Palm trees are frequently 

 cut so as to allow them to feed on the fermenting material until 

 lame enough for a table dish. The writer has seen them cooked, but 



