424 



FAMILY CURCULIONIDAE 



case with the sissu Apodcnts. The weevil makes two curved cuts 

 below the apex of the leaf, until they meet the midrib about a third 



down from the apex, as shown in the 

 sketch, and the portion between the 

 cuts is then rolled up after an egg has 

 been deposited near the apex (a). An- 

 other method of operation is to cut 

 out a portion from the side of the leaf 

 and roll this up along one of the side 

 veins, d e and i) v. 



In addition to making use of the 

 leaf in this manner for ovipositing pur- 

 poses, the weevil also feeds upon it, 

 eating out small patches of the paren- 

 chyma, as shown at P. in the figure. 



I found the beetle fairly numerous 

 in the forest round Mount Stuart, in 

 South Coimbatore, towards the end of 

 July 1902. 



Fk;. 285. — Leaf of Gre-dna tiliaL-folia 

 used by the weevil Atlclabics octo/ua- 

 Liilaia for egg-laying. A, part of the 

 rolled-up leaf with ^•g'g inside. .South 

 Coimbatore, Madras. (E. P. .S.) 



Attelabus sp. 

 Habitat. — .South Coimbatore, Madras. 



Trees Attacked.— Teak {Tectona }j;ran.dis) ; Hclictercs sp. Mount Stuart, 

 South Coimbatore. 



Beetle. — This beetle may be A. discolor described above, or a closely allied species. 

 Egg.— Pale yellow, shining, elliptical. Length, 1. 17 nun. 



This weevil was found plentifully in the 



f(jrests round Mount Stuart, in South Coim- 

 batore, towards the end of y 

 Life History. July 1902. The beetle was 



feeding on the leaves of 



teak, and feeding and ovipositing on those of 



Hclictercs. The teak-leaves had their edges 



cut and slit up under the attacks. The soft 



pubescent leaves of the Hclictercs were skele- 

 tonized, the parenchyma of the leaf being eaten 



out, leaving a rough lace-work. Other leaves 



had portions eaten out of the edges, or patches 



eaten out of the interior, the veins being eaten 



as well as the parenchyma, as shown in the 



figure. This latter was the common method of 



attack in the case of the teak-leaves. 



Fig. 286. 



Leaf of //ir//V/(V'('^' sp. gnawed 

 by Attelabus sp. (L. P. S.) 



