COLEOPTERA. 335 



Cylas formicarius, Lefroy, [nd. Ins. Pests, p. ih2. [nd. Ins. Life, 



p. 386, t. 26, Ent. Mem. Dept. Agri., Ind., II.. 155 — 159, t. XVIII. 

 (She Plate XH.i 



Distribution. Throughout Southern India, in the Hills up to at 

 leasi 4,000 feet, probably all the year round. 



Lifehistory. -The small oval whitish egg is deposited in cavities 

 bitten out bj the beetle in the stems or tubers of the foodplant. 

 The legless grub, which is whitish with a pale-yellow head, bores 

 into the stein or ruber, the presenee of the grubs often being shown 

 bj the development of dark patches around the attacked portions. 

 Pupation in a small chamber at the end of the larval burrow, pupa 

 whitish. The beetle emerges after about a week, the complete life- 

 ■ vele occupying about one month. 



Foodplant. -Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). Probably also in 

 stems of other species ot Ipomoea [e.g., I. pes-capra) though not 

 definitel) noted in India. 



Status. — This may be a very destructive pest to sweet potato 

 crops. 



Control. Collection of beetles by hand-nets and by attraction to 

 light-traps. Planting of deep-rooting varieties of sweet potato. 

 In bad cases of infection, only complete destruction of the whole 

 crop is of any avail and sweet potatoes should not be grown in the 

 vicinity for at least two years. 



APODERUS rRANQUEBARICUS, Kb. 

 Attelabus tranquebaricus, Fab., Ent. Syst. Suppl., p. 162 (1798). 

 Apoderus tranquebaricus, Lefroy, Ind. Ins. Life, p. 387, t. 2;, f. S. 



I . — Apoderus tranquebaricus. The small figure shows the natural size. 

 inal.l 



