400 FAMILY CURCULIONIDAE 



defoliation committed by these three insects in years of bad infestation 

 keeps the trees leafless for the greater part of the year, retarding the 

 growth of young plants and poles, and reducing the increment put on 

 by older trees. The area, I was informed, is managed under a working 

 plan for the supply of sleepers to the railway running through the forest to 

 Calicut, and of firewood and small material to Coimbatore. The growth of 

 the trees is poor for the most part, and the natural regeneration is scanty. 

 Efforts should be made to deal with the defoliating pests. 



Myllocerus lineatocollis, Boh. 



{The Scinitl Defoliator.) 



Habitat. — ^Goalpara, Assam. Also reported from the Nilgiris (Hampson) 



Tree Attacked. — Semul {Boinhax nialaharicuin). Goalpara. 



Beetle. — Very small and slender. ]3right green or golden green 1/ 



with a golden iridescence ; antennae and legs orange or yellowish v 



brown. Rostrum moderately long, truncate 

 Description. at top, with antennae inserted at tip, the 



black eyes placed behind the middle of 

 rostrum ; a slight median longitudinal impressed line on upper 

 half, the rest of surface finely rugose. Prothorax slightly wider 

 in front than behind, anterior margin curved outwards, sides con- 

 stricted slightly medianly ; disk finely rugose, with a median longi- 

 tudinal dark brown stripe starting from anterior margin and not 

 ciuite reaching the posterior one. Elytra finely striate-punctate, p^^, ^„^ 



base straight, sides straight to posterior coxae, thence constricted to J\[yllo(:cnis liiwatocollis 

 apices. Under-surface golden green, finely punctate. Length, ' \\o\\. The semul 

 4.5 mm. to 5.5 mm. defoliator. Assam. 



During a period of seven years spent in charge of the Goalpara Forest 



Division, Mr. W. F. Perree noticed that the semul-trees 



Life History. were often heavily defoliated during the hot weather 



(May and June). His observations tended to show that 



the trees suffered either partial or total defoliation during the year. He 



considered that to some extent at least the poor growth of the semul in parts 



was attributable to this little beetle defoliator, which in some years appeared 



in incredible numbers. 



In May igo6 I had an opportunity of studying this attack with 

 Mr. Perree at Kachugaon on the Sunkos River and elsewhere in Goalpara, 

 During the second week of May the beetles were found abundantly pairing on 

 the trees, the female being larger than the male. 



The beetle's attack is confined to the foliage. In defoliating the leaf 

 the Myllocenis either attacks it at the edges or eats out holes from the 

 centre of the leaflets. The major portion of the leaflet is often consumed, 

 the remainder withering and dropping to the ground. 



