KKl’OKT ON KOONOIIKJ ENTOMOLOGY 
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The latter is about 3 iiiin. in length and hluey-black in colour—not unlike the Hop 
Ilea, Ilallica cuncinna, Curtis. The former is about 4 min. in length and of a uniform 
chestnut-brown colour, with the terminal joints of the antennae darker. 
Of the two, Nisotra uniformis is the more common. During the winter 1907-8 it was 
twice received at the laboratories with complaints of the damage that it was doing. 
The adults of both species feed freely on the leaves of cotton and bamia. 
Preventions and remedies .—As these beetles do not usually occur in very great numbers 
until the cotton crop is nearly ready for gathering, it is unlikely that they are the cause of 
much loss to the farmer. When thought desirable, however, they could jirobably he 
poisoned by means of arsenical sprays—e.;/. arsenate of lead — or driven away by the use 
of paraffin emulsion spray. 
The preventive measures recommended for the Egyptian boll-worm would also have 
the effect of lessening the number of flea beetles. 
The Cotton Root and Stem Boeee 
During April, 1907, my attention was called to some cotton at Taragma that was 
dying from some unknown cause. On investigation the roots and lower parts of the 
stems of the plants were found to he attacked by the larvae of one of the wood-boring 
beetles, probably a Buprestid. These larvae were tunnelling in the wood either immediately 
above or below the ground level. 
An attempt made to breed out the adults was unsuccessful. 
During the winter 1907-8, while I was away from Khartoum, infested cotton plants 
were twice sent to the laboratories with requests for suggestions as to remedial measures — • 
by Mr. Neville from Zeidab, and by Mr. Durant from the Government Experimental 
Farm at Half ay a. 
This beetle is distinct from the American Cotton Stalk-borer, Ataxia crypta, Say. 
Preventions and remedies. — For the present, the only method that can be suggested for 
dealing with this pest is to collect and burn all the infested cotton plants while the 
larvaj are still in them. 
The Egyptian Cotton S t a i n e e 
O.i'ycarenns Ityalii/ipi'nins, Costa 
This is the little bug that is frequently seen in numbers in the cotton bolls towards 
the end of the season. 
While the plants are young they feed by puncturing the bolls with their probosces and 
sucking the sap; later when the bolls open they enter and attack the seeds. 
They also cause considerable damage by fouling the fibre with their excrement. 
The adults are blackish, the larvie bright red. 
In common with the majority of the members of the Nat. Order Ifemiptcra, the cotton 
Stainer has the power of emitting a peculiarly offensive smell. This smell is particularly 
noticeable if one of the insects is crushed. 
Preventions and. remedies. — During the season when no cotton is growing these insects 
collect on the refuse of the crop. They can then be destroyed either by the application 
of liot water or by burning. 
The Cotton .A.phis 
Aphis malvtc, Koch 
This aphis has been noticed several times on cotton, but never in sufficient numbers 
to cause appreciable damage. 
In Egypt it, or an allied species, is a pest of some importance. 
