200 



BEETLE PESTS. 



only once a year and tliis coincides with the time of flight of the beetles, 



the larvae and pnpse remain undisturbed in 

 the soil for the whole of their lives and 

 are never turned out fur the birds to eat. 



A special form of injury to the crops 

 occurs when the ripening" period of the 

 millets coincides with the period of emer- 

 gence of cockchafers ; the latter then feed 

 upon the soft grain, settling on the ears of 

 bajri or other millets at night. The 

 attack lasts for a short time but is very 

 serious, the actual grain being destroyed 

 in a wholesale manner. This form of 

 injury is not uncommon in the plains. 

 Very little can be done to check such 

 attacks ; fires of green stuff should be lit 

 round the fields, and the beetles should be 

 disturbed by dragging" a rope or long cloth 

 brush the ears, 

 the beetles 



Fig. 233. 

 Bed Pumpkin Beetle. {Magnified.) 



through the field so as to 



The essential thing is to disturb 



as they will not live long and, if they are 



prevented from feeding for a few nights, the 



grain will be secure. 



Another special form of injury to flower- 

 ing plants in the hills is caused by very 

 small cockchafers, which emerge from the soil 

 in vast numbers and feed on white flowers 

 such as roses, spirseas, etc. These feed by 

 day and are attracted to anything white, or 

 light coloured. They can be trapped on a 

 white sheet or by hanging up a white cloth 

 over a large pan of kerosene and water j the 

 beetles that collect must be periodically gathered 

 or shaken into the pan. 



Fig. 234. 



Black Pumpkin Beetle. 



{Macjnijied.) 



Leaf-eating Beetles. 



A large class of Coleoptera feed upon the leaves of plants in a n^anner 

 similar to caterpillars. These beetles eat the tissues of leaves, either 

 making holes in them or completely stripping the plants. The greater 

 number feed upon wild plants, specially in the hills. A few have become 

 pests in the plains and are abundant in the crops. 



