140 



KErOliT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION 



Imported 

 tig trees 

 attacked by 

 the Fig Stem- 

 boring Beetle 



Transvaal 

 experiments in 

 prevention 

 of damage by 

 White Ants 



The Fig Stem-boeing Beetle 



Sinoxylon sudanicam, Leslie 



Plate IX., tig. 1 



A number of young fig trees imported from Egypt by Mr. Geoffrey Nevile and planted 

 in his garden at Darmali were severely damaged by this beetle early in 1910. When first 

 planted out, the trees were naturally in a weak condition and the beetles — for Mr. Nevile 

 told me that they were usually in pairs — bored into the twigs immediately either above or 

 below a bud, and then circled the twig within the bark in such a way that at the slightest 

 strain it would break at that point. This had the eifect, on all but the main stems, of 

 completely cutting off the flow of sap and so killing the twig. If left undisturbed, the 

 beetles continued to tunnel in the dead and dying wood and presumably had the intention 

 of depositing eggs, though no larvae were taken from twigs collected in March. A single 

 adult emerged from one of these twigs in July. Healthy, strongly growing trees were 

 not attacked. 



8. sndaniottm can be distinguished from the more common S. senegalenne by its 

 coloration — the latter species is uniformly dark brown to black, but S. sitdamciim has the 

 basal halves of the elytra tinged with yellow. 



Preventive and remedial measures. — As this beetle confines its attention to trees which 

 are for some reason in a sickly condition, it is onlj- necessary to keep trees healthy to avoid 

 an attack. When trees are first transplanted and until they have established themselves 

 the vicinities of the buds should be smeared with some substance — such as tar — which 

 is ofl'ensive to tlie beetles. Newly transplanted trees should also be examined every day or 

 two, and all beetles found attempting to bore into twigs, collected and destroyed. If a 

 beetle has succeeded in making a tunnel, in a small twig, of sufficient length to conceal 

 itself, that twig should be cut off below the tunnel and burnt. 



Mr. Nevile saved most of his trees by picking the beetles out of their tunnels with a pin 

 and removing the twigs which were either dead or dying. When seen in July, these trees 

 had established themselves and made a quantity of new growth, which the beetles had not 

 attacked. 



White Ants 



Tei-mitida; 



In view of the enormous amount of damage done yearly by certain species of the 

 Fam. Teriiiitidce, or as they are popularly termed, "White Ants," the selection of some 

 chemical with which to treat wood used in the construction of houses, etc., or for telegraph 

 poles, to protect it from the attacks of the insect is a matter of considerable importance. 

 No series of experiments has as yet been started in this country to test the respective 

 values of the various chemicals recommended for the purpose, though it is proposed to 

 do so during the coming year. A very comprehensive series of experiments in this 

 direction was started in the Transvaal, in 1906, by Mr. C. W''. Howard, who then held the 

 post of Government Entomologist to that Colony, and has been continued by his successor, 

 Mr. F. Thomson. As the results obtained up to the present from these experiments 

 cannot but be of interest to many in the Sudan, extracts from the articles published 

 by Mr. F. Thomson giving these results are quoted here : — 



'"The tests were carried on in the following manner. About 800 pieces of wood 

 of a uniform size, 3 x 3 x 12 inches, were obtained. These were mostly of deal, but 



Transvaal AyricuUural Journal, No. 27, 1909, p. 513 



