202 



feEETLE PESTS. 



Witli it is a very similar beetle ^ differing only in having' tlie wing 

 covers black instead of orange. 



A smaller blue beetle ^ (fig. 235); 

 very flat, with parallel sides and no 

 spines, is found on the rice with the 

 Rice Hispa, and is also found upon 

 sugarcane. The life history is not 

 known, but is probably similar to 

 that of the Rice Hispa, to which it 

 is closely related. Sweet potatoes 

 are infested by a small golden 

 tortoise beetle (fig. 236), whose flat 

 green grubs feed on the leaf and 

 cany their excrement over their backs 

 on a special moveable process. The 

 whole life history is passed on this 

 plant as on other Convolvulacea, but 

 the insects are rarely abundant and 

 do no harm. The White Weevil is a 

 small beetle 3 with the head pro- 

 duced in front into a short beak 

 (fig. 237) ; it feeds upon cotton leaves 



Fig. 237. 



T7/e White Weevil. {Magnified and 



natural size.) 



Fig. 238. 

 Green Weevil. (Magnified.) 



principally and is commonly found upon the 

 plant. If the plant is shaken the weevils 

 fall to the ground and lie motionless, sham- 

 ming death. If it were a pest, this habit 

 coidd be made use of to destroy the beetle, 

 but no case is yet on record of this insect 

 being sufficiently abundant to cause harm. 



A similar but larger beetle * is common 

 on indigo ; it has a glistening green appear- 

 ance, is larger than the White Weevil 

 and is sometimes found with it on cotton 

 (fig. 238). A few other weevils have 

 been recorded as feeding upon different 

 plants; such weevils are common among 

 wild x*l''^'^ts, and are rarely found upon 

 cultivated plants. The simplest treatment 



' 125. Aulacojthora excattatn. Baly. (Chrysomelidffi.) 

 '^ 124. J.epiispa fygmaa. Raly. (ClirvsomcHdBC.) 

 ' fi. Mylloverus maciilosii.t. des B. (Curculiouidae<) 

 * 1^8. Astycus lateralis. Fabr. (Curculionida;-) 



