269 



Oedopeza potjonocheroides Serv,— Essequibo and Mazaruni Rivers. 

 Pol i/ra phis Jiorrlda F.— Rockstone, Essequibo R. 



Acrocinus lon(/imanm L.— Known as tbe "Harlequin Beetle." 

 Rarely met with. Paraweeka Ck., Essequibo R, 

 A, trocklearis L, — Georgetown. 



Bruchidae, 



Car^oboriis nucleorum* F. — A common species of Bruchid which 

 attacks exclusively the seeds of various species of pahns. The following 

 si>eeies of palms are known to be thus attacked : 



Bactris major, JSlais guianeensis ("West African Oil Palm), 



The characteristic damage performed by these beetles has been observed 

 in the seeds of the Cokerite palm {Maximiliana regia). The habits of 

 this insect were exposed by some unsuccessful attempts to germinate 

 a number of seeds of the West African Oil Palm grown in Bi-itish 

 Guiana. Almost every seed was found to be infested by the larva of this 

 beetle- The seeds while on the palm have a fleshy covering which is 

 usually gnaw«d off by fruit-eating bats. The seeds eventually fall to 

 the ground and there become infested by the Bi-uchid, probably in the 

 following manner. The adult female beetle deposits its ^^ within the 

 micropyle of the seed. On emergence the young larva makes its way 

 down through the micropyle to the kernel, where it remains and feeds 

 till mature. The perfect insect emerges through a perfectly circular 

 hole which it neatly bores through the extremely hard shell. Appaa-entlj 

 perfect seeds on being broken open are frequently found to be infested 

 by a full-grown larva which fully occupies the interior of the seed. 

 It could only have obtained entiy when freshlj^ hatched from the egg bv 

 transversing the micropyle as described above. Fully 80 per cent, of 

 the seeds are often found tlms attacked. By removing the seeds before 

 thev fall to the ground such attack may be sueeessfully avoided, 



Spermophagus semifascicdns Boh. — This species of Bruchid was 

 brought into British Guiana with a large shipment of beans. Fully 

 50 per cent, of the beans were infested. The destruction of the entire 

 shipment was undertaken in consequence. 



'Chrysomelidae, 

 Megalopodixae, 

 Mastostethus curvatus Fabr. — Tumatumari, Potaro R, 



* Det. Schwarz. U,S. Natural Museum. 



