KBPOKT OF THE ENTDMOLOdlCAL SECTION 137 



attack a plant which has been weakened by the work of the borer, and the entire damage 

 is then not infrequently attributed to these smaller insects. 



Preventive and remedial measure!'. — To control the various insect pests of cotton, it is I'icvention of 

 absolutely essential that the remains of the old crop should be collected and burnt as soon yt^n,°borer 

 as the cotton has been gathered, and before the new crop is sown. The effect of tliis 

 measure on S. neylecta will be to lessen its numbers very considerably, as it is usually 

 present in all its forms in the old cotton wood at the end of the season. When the 

 young crop appears, all infested plants should he collected and burnt to prevent the 

 occurrence of a second brood. 



The Melon Wekvil 



Baris trfeyardlu, Auriv. 



Plate VIII., figs. 1, 3, 4 and 6 



Eeference to this pest of sweet melons was made in the Third Report of these The Melon 

 Laboratories.^ It does not appear to be nearly as common as the melon fruit-fly — ^'^'" 

 Dacuts sp. — but is nevertheless responsible for a certain amount of damage. 

 Description — 



Adult (fig. 3). — Length, 4-6'5 mm. Colour uniformly black, elytra sometimes 

 faintly tinged with brown. Head bears comparatively few punctures, suialler than 

 those on the thorax. Proboscis curved, about equal in length to the prothorax, 

 densely punctured, grooved on either side to take the folded antennas. Antenna of 

 nine segments, first segment long, finely punctured, apically swollen ; second segment 

 one-third the length of first segment ; third to eighth segments small ; ninth segment 

 swollen, consisting of four rings, and clothed with greyish pubescence ; second to eighth 

 segments inclusive bear black spines or bristles, shortest on second segment and longest 

 on eighth. Prothorax as broad as long, densely punctured, anterior margin constricted 

 to form a collar. Elytra densely punctured and longitudinally and deeply grooved, the 

 grooves converging towards the apex and a marginal groove extending around the whole 

 elytron except the basal margin ; a small hump is situated in the exterior basal angle 

 of each elytron. Pygidium and venter densely pimctured. Besides these deeper 

 punctures the whole surface of the beetle is very finely punctured. Legs densely 

 punctured, femora bear a few short curved grey hairs ; tibiae bear greyish or black 

 spines or bristles and a cluster of strong black spines at the apices, and terminate in a 

 brown claw-like process; tarsi four-jointed; under-surfaces of apices of tibi* and 

 under-surfaces of tarsi clothed with yellow hair. 



Preventive and remedial measures. — All infested melons should be collected and burnt. 

 They should on no account be thrown into the river, as there would be a danger of their 

 floating down-stream and becoming a source of infection to other cultivations. 



The Melon Stem-bohek 



Apomecijna binnbila, Pasc. 



Plate VIII., tigs. -2, 5 and 7 



Complaints are occasionally received of damage done by this longicorn which was Melon 

 referred to in the Third Report of these Laboratories.- stem-borer 



' Third Report, Wellcome Tropical Jiesecrch Lnhoraforif.i, 1908, pnge 2.'5'2 

 - Third licpurl, H'ellcoiiie Tropical Research Laboratories, 1908, page 233 



