over much of the north and west sides of tlie Island as to the presence 

 of this May-beetle in their orchards, and the damage done by it, 

 have in many instances brought reply that the damage is considerable, 

 and that little can be done to prevent it, except picking the beetles or 

 grubs by hand or spraying with arsenate of lead. These are said to 

 give only temporary relief. 



While grubs of the two larger species, vandinei and porioricensis, 

 may also be found to some extent at the roots of citrus trees, their 

 occurrence is usually accidental. Adults of these species feed rarely 

 if ever upon citrus foliage, and consequently do not often seek the 

 soil at the bases of citrus trees to lay their eggs. 



The citrus white-grub is also a pest of sugar-cane, of pasture grass, 

 and of a variety of other crops. The grubs are sometimes found as 

 abundantly as those of the larger species in cane fields that are being 

 plowed. It is therefore quite as important a general crop pest, in 

 some localities, as either the common or sugar-cane white-gruh. 



!:-' 



Distribution. 



This seems to be the most widely distributed species of Ph ijJlophaga 

 occurring on the Island. Specimens have been collected at ^laya- 

 giiez on the west coast, along the entire length of the north coast 

 from Aguadilla to Fajardo, at Lares, Utuado, Aibonito, Cayey, and 

 other towns inland, ami on the south coast from Aguirre eastward. 

 Specimens have also been conected on the Island of \'ie(iues. to the 

 east of Porto Rico. 



The type of this species is from Rio Piedras, in the San Juan dis- 

 trict, which is midway (or a little east of midway) of the Island on 

 the north coast. Specimens from other localities do not seem to vary 

 much from the type, though it is possible that future study will 

 reveal the presence of sub-species. 



On Vieques Island, where sugar cane is the principal crop, this 

 species is less abundant than porioricensis, and tlicrefore less impor- 

 tant as a pest. 



Till'] Beetle. 



Superficially, this May-beetle very closely resembles /'. f/iioin'caxn. 

 The average size is a little larger, about one ni ill i meter more in lenutli. 

 As in lluit six'cies, the elyti'a of the male are covered with a very 

 fine, i)lnmbeous pubescence, that makes it dn.ller in coloi- than the 

 female. The latter differs from the female of P. guanicana in having 

 the elytra, instead of uniformly polished over the surface, polislied 

 only on the disc back of the middle, while the sides and fore-part 



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