kepokt of tiik entomological section 139 



The Caui'.aiW'; Bug 

 lliii/rdda picla, F. 



Plate IX., fi^. 6 



• 



This brilliantly coloui'ed plant-lnij; occurred in large niuuhers on cabbages in some Caljliage 

 of the gardens in Khartoum during the winter 1909-10. It can be distinguished from the "" 

 closely allied B. picta hilar in, Burm., by the markings on the soutellum — in B. picta the 

 scutellum bears a median longitudinal yellowish-white stripe extending from the basal 

 margin to the apex, while in B. picta hilar is this stripe is present on the apical half of 

 the scutellum only. 



Preventive and remedial measaren. — Gardens should be kejJt free from weeds, especially 

 those belonging to the Nat. Order Crncifent', and any bugs noticed attacking cabbages or 

 other plants should be collected and destroyed without delay to pi'event them depositing 

 eggs. 



The Eigla Gall Weevil 



Barii- lurata, Marshall, sp. nov. 



Plate IX., fig. 2 



This small weevil has been noticed in Khartoum attacking Portulaca oleracea, I^inn. RigiaGaii 

 — Arabic name liiijla — which is cultivated as a vegetable and for use in salad. The Weevii 

 larva lives in the stem, its presence causing a gall to form, and frequently a plant may 

 be seen bearing upwards of thirty galls. 



An undetermined species of Hymenopteron is parasitic upon the larval stage of this 

 beetle. 

 Descriptions — 



Larva — head, chestnut-brown; body, yellowish-white, curved and transversely wrinkled. 



Pupa — yellow, eyes black, mandibles brown. The body bears a few scattered long 

 pale hairs. 



AJiiJf — Length, 3 mm. Colour brown, with a darker brown to black median lateral 

 area on each elytrum. Head densely and finely punctured, and also sparsely and coarsely 

 punctured. Proboscis curved, about equal in length to the prothorax, punctured, grooved 

 to take the folded antennae. Antenna of nine segments, first segment long, slender, a])ically 

 swollen, second to eighth segments small, bearing narrow white scales, ninth segment 

 swollen, consisting of four rings, clothed with greyish pubescence. Prothorax densely and 

 deeply punctured except the anterior margin which is densely but finely punctured ; a 

 lateral patch on either side of mixed yellowish-white and yellowish-brow'n, almost circular, 

 scales extending from the posterior margin three-fourths of its length. Each elytrum 

 bears a basal lateral patch and an apical patch of mixed yellowish-white and yellowish- 

 brown scales, while smaller brown scales are scattered over the median dorsal areas, and 

 the remaining surface bears longitudinal rows of narrow dark brown scales, and the whole 

 surface of the elytrum is longitudinally grooved. Pygidium clothed with yellowish-white 

 and yellowish-brown scales. Venter punctured and bearing patches of white to yellowisli- 

 white scales. Legs punctured and clothed with narrow w-hite to yellowish-white scales, 

 tibiffi terminate in a black, claw-like process, tarsi four-jointed. 



The arrangement of the scales varies considerably in different specimens. 



