160 A MANUAL OF DANGEROUS INSECTS. 



Oryctes rhinoceros Linnaeus. 

 (Rhinoceros Beetle. Scarabseidae ; Coleoptera.) 



Hosts: Palm, aloes, sugar cane (occasionally). 



Injury: Destructive to coconut palm in Malacca, Singapore, and Madras. May be 

 introduced in plants. 



Description and biology: Adult beetle large thickset, about 5 cm. long; and 25 mm. 

 broad ; color dark brown to black. The adults feed upon the soft tissues and unopened 

 leaves of palms. Larvx are found in decomposed vegetable matter and soil rich in 

 humus about plant roots. Pwpa is inclosed in hard case. The eggs are white but 

 become dull with age; measure 3.5 mm. by 2 mm.; oval. 



Distribution: Ceylon, India, Siam, Annam, Pahang, Sumatra, Java, Celebes, 

 Ceram, Amboina, Philippine Islands, Formosa, Korea, China, Straits Settlements, 

 Tahiti, Madras, Malabar. 



Maxwell-Leproy, H. Indian Insect Pests, 1906, p. 207. 



Maxwell-Leproy, H. Indian Insect Life, 1909, p. 255. 



Ghosh, C. C. Memoirs Dept. Agric. India, Entom. Ser., 1911, vol. 2, No. 10, p. 193. 



Promecotbeca cumingii Baly. 

 (The Coconut Leaf Miner Beetle. Hispidae; Coleoptera.) 



Host: Coconut (Cocas nucif era) . 



Injury: Mines the leaves in larval stage; adults also feed on leaves. May be intro- 

 duced in leaves of nursery stock. 



Description and biology: Adult beetle 7.5-10 mm. long and 1.6-2 mm. \vide, general 

 color, brown ocher; head small, elytral strise finely punctate. Eggs deposited singly 

 on underside of leaflets in a small hole made by the adult; entire larval and pupal 

 periods spent in the leaf between the lower and upper epidermis. More injury is 

 occasioned by the larva than by the adult. Tissues which have been attacked soon 

 become brown and die. Egg stage about 32 days, and pupal stage about 7.5 days. 



Distribution: Philippine Islands. 

 Jones, Chas. R. The Philippine Agric. Review, 1913, vol. 6, No. 5, p. 228. 



Promecotheca reichei. 



(Coconut Leaf Miner. Hispidse; Coleoptera.) 



Host: Coconut palm. 



Injury: Damage occasioned by the pest is usually local, but affected trees appear 

 brown and unhealthy when viewed from a distance. 



Description and biology: Adult beetle length 8 mm., breadth 2 mm.; general color 

 golden; head quadrangular in shape and provided with powerful mandibles; thorax 

 golden, basal third of elytra golden and remainder metallic blue. Eggs are deposited 

 singly on under surface of leaflets; larvae on hatching make their way into the leaf and 

 tunnel between the upper and lower surfaces, feeding on the fleshy cells; pupate 

 usually at extreme end of tunnel passage; pupal stage lasts from 18 to 20 days. 



Distribution: Fiji. 

 Jepson, Frank B. Dept. Agric. Fiji, Council Paper No. 25, 1911, p. 39. 



Brontispa froggatti Sharp. 



(The Leaf Hispa. Hispidae; Coleoptera.) 

 Host: Coconut palm. 



Injury: Very injurious to young coconut groves in Solomon Islands. Liable to be 

 imported on growing plants. 



