jimeis. I91S Sugar-Cane Root-Boring Weevils 263 



breeds in the roots of sugar cane, Indian corn {Zea mays), Guinea com 

 (Andropogon sorghum), sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas), Bahama or 

 Bermuda grass (Capriola dactylon), and limes {Citrus medica acida) in 

 Barbados, and has been collected also on pigeon-pea (Cajan indicum) 

 and Bonavist bean (Dolichos lablab) in Barbados and on castor plant in 

 St. Vincent. Mr. H. A. Ballou has written considerably on this form 

 under the name "Diaprepes abbreviatus." He found the eggs in small 

 clusters on the leaves of a variety of plants. On sugar cane the eggs are 

 usually laid near the tips where the leaves have been split by the wind, 

 the two portions of the leaf being stuck together over the eggs. As many 

 as 89 eggs have been found in a cluster. The young larvae in attacking 

 sugar cane are first found on the fibrous roots, but as they grow larger 

 they tunnel into the underground stem portions of the plant. Mr. Ballou 

 places the life cycle at about a year, of which about 10 days are spent in 

 the egg stage, 300 in the larval stage, 15 in the pupal stage, and about 

 20 in the adult. 

 Diaprepes spengleri denudatus, n. var. 



6. The opposite extreme from D. spengleri marginatus is found in one 

 specimen collected by Mr. H. W. Foote in Guadeloupe in June, 191 3. 

 This specimen has the greenish and whitish scales in the dorsal punctures 

 with an ochraceous spot on each side of the scutellum, an ochraceous 

 lateral line on the elytra, and a very white lateral vitta on the prothorax, 

 but the second elytral intervals are the only dorsal intervals clothed with 

 scales. Interval i and intervals 3 to 10 are denuded. Size, 12 mm. 

 (PI. XXXVI, fig. 3.) 



DIAPREPES FAMELICUS 



The species Diaprepes famelicus Olivier differs from Diaprepes spen- 

 gleri in that the three carinae of the beak are indistinct and the surface 

 is very rugulose. The ocular vibrissae are almost completely lacking. 

 The species is black and very sparsely inconspicuously squamose. The 

 strial punctures are larger and the striae closer together than in D. spen- 

 gleri (PI. XXXVI, fig. 2). 



The species is also known as D. esuriens Gyllenhal in some of the 

 islands. 



Material is at hand from Montserrat, Dominica, and St. Kitts. 



D. famelicus attacks sugar cane in St. Kitts. Mr. H. G. Hubbard 

 collected several specimens that were notching the leaves of the lime in 

 Montserrat on March 31, 1894. 



CONTROL OF THE SUGAR-CANE ROOT BORER 

 As means of control, Mr. W. V. Tower has suggested spraying with 

 arsenate of lead the trees attacked by adults. Mr. H. A. Ballou suggests 

 rotation of affected crops with unaffected crops, breaking up infested 

 stumps to expose the grubs to the attack of ants and birds, and the 

 subsequent burning of these stumps. He also recommends the hand 

 picking of adults from April to June. 



