922 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



6G.— THE LIFE-HISTORY OF THE MORINGA STEM-BORER. 



By T. V. SuBRAMANYAM, B.A., Assistant to the Government Entomologist, 

 Madras. 



(Plate 145.) 



This paper deals with the life-history of a longiconi beetle boring 

 into the branches of the moringa plant {Moringa pterijgosperma), the 

 drnnistick plant of South India. This? plant is economically very 

 important, at least in the Madras Presidency, where its long sticklike 

 fiiiits are largely used in the preparation of vegetable curries and are 

 considered to be extremely nutritious. The leaves and flowers' are also 

 extensively used. The insect has not been identified correctly and has 

 been Sent to experts for identification. A, stray grub was seen one day 

 boring inside a moringa twig and the adult when reared out at the 

 Insectary was foimd to be this beetle. Afterwards a pair of these beetles 

 were caiight during copulation and made to lay eggs in captivity and the 

 life-history was completely studied. The insect is not a serioiis pest 

 but it is seen occasionally scraping away the bark of the plant when an 

 adult and boring in moringa twigs during its larval stage. 



The insect, the larva of which is found boring inside the branches of 

 the plant, is one of the Lamiadae, a Family of comparatively large-sized 

 beetles, generally recognized by their hard and robust bodies and long 

 filamentous antennae. The beetle has not been identified yet ; I believe 

 it is a species of Monohammus. The adult beetle is half to thcee-fourths 

 of an inch long and an eighth of an inch in breadth. The prothorax and 

 the wings, which cover the whole body on the dorsal side, are brown 

 in colour with dark grey patches here and there. The under-side of the 

 body, the vertex of the head, the labrum and the basal segment of the 

 mandibles are covered with thick grey pubescence. The head is bent 

 down under the prothorax. The mouth-parts are well developed and 

 adapted to the bark-eating habits of the insect ; the labrum is orange in 

 colour and the mandibles hard and black ; maxillae are well developed. 

 The antennae are long and filamentous, arising from the inner curvatures 

 of the large black eyes. Each antenna consists of twelve segments 

 covered by short, soft, grey hairs.; the basal segment is short and stumpy 

 and the first few segments have a row of long black hairs along the inner 

 side. The prothorax is long and cylindrical. There are four visible 

 abdomhial segments. The legs are yellowish brown covered by grey 

 pubescence and end in two claws. 



The insect ha*s not been noted as a serious pest. But just before 1 

 left for Bombay I found a whole tree attacked. The injury is recognized 



