174) PESTS OF FRUIT, 



The Mango Weevil.^ 



In many parts of India ripe mango fruits are found to be spoilt by 

 the tunnels of an insect which, emerging from the stone, eats its way 

 out through the pulp. The insect is a short, thick-set weevil, dark brown 

 in colour, one-third of an inch in length. When disturbed it draws its 

 legs together and lies motionless, feigning death. The grubs bore in 

 the kernels of the mango fruit when it is growing large ; these grubs 

 pupate inside the fruit and as the mango ripens, become beetles, eating 

 their way out through the pulp of the fruit, which they spoil. The 

 beetle hides at once in the bark of the mango tree, either in a natural 

 crevice or in a hole prepared by itself. The beetle remains in this 

 position apparently until the next season and there is, therefore, but one 

 brood in the year. 



The weevils remain alive for very long periods and are capable of 

 living until the next year when they lay eggs on the mango flowers or 

 young fruits. Weevils have been found throughout the year on trees 

 whose fruits were infested, and it is certain that they can live over till 

 the following year. They also remain in the soil and not always on the 

 bark of tree. The treatment of this pest will depend upon two precau- 

 tions : destroy all infested fruits with the insects, and destroy the weevils 

 on the bark of the mango tree in August. The weevils can be found on 

 the bark of mango trees, which accounts for the fact that year after year 

 the same tree is affected ; the weevils come out of the fruit, and stay on 

 that tree till next year, not flying or moving away. The bark of trees 

 which bear infested mangoes should be well washed with strong kerosene 

 emulsion or other contact poison, with a view to destroying the weevils 

 found there ; this has not been tested as yet but is worth a trial. A 

 further precaution consists in thoroughly cultivating the ground under 

 the trees, so as to destroy the weevils. Rai Bahadur B. C. Basu has 

 found that when the land below infested trees is flooded, the trees are not 

 infested in the following year. 



The Lemon Caterpillar. 



Lime, lemon, orange and other citrus trees are defoliated by 

 curiorisly marked caterpillars, which feed openly upon the leaves'^ of the 

 plant. These caterpillars hatch from small round yellow eggs, laid a few 

 at a time upon the topmost shoots of the plants, where the young cater- 

 pillars v/ill find tender leaves upon which to feed. They are at first brown 



^ ?04. CryfiorJiyncTius mangijera. F. (Curculionidse.) 



