132 



quadrifoveatus, a rhinoceros beetle attacking coconuts, seems to be 

 afiorded by a surrounding growth of sugar-cane, pigeon pea or a 

 similar crop during the rainy season. 



Experiments to determine the value of cyanamide as a remedy 

 for white grubs [^Lachnosternd] in cane soil show that heavy applications 

 of this substance when used alone have no effect, even on second 

 instar grubs. Mixtures of cyanamide with other chemical fertilisers 

 are being tested. The trapping of the changa [Scapteriscus vicinus] 

 with lights has been continued ; up to the present 58 per cent, of the 

 catch has consisted of females. 



Froggatt (W. W.). A Serious Pest to Stored Wheat: The Lesser 

 Grain Borer {Rhizopertha dominica). — Aqric. Gaz. N.S.W., Sydney, 

 xxix, no. 10, October 1918, pp. 726-728, 2 figs. [Received 20th 

 January 1919.] 



Besides Calandra oryzae, which is the commonest grain pest in 

 New South Wales, and C. granaria, which is rare, Rhizopertha dominica 

 has also recently been observed in wheat stacked in grain sheds in 

 certain localities. The damage caused by this beetle is similar to that 

 observed in India and elsewhere [see this Review, Ser. A, v, p. 126]. 

 Through the winter in New South Wales the beetles remain quiescent 

 and do not attempt to feed upon the grain. In the stacks, during 

 a warm sunny day even in midwinter they may be seen crawling 

 about on the exposed surfaces of the bags in which they had been 

 feeding in June. All empty bags, etc., used in infested sheds should 

 be quarantined and thoroughly disinfected with hot air before being 

 used again. 



Fletcher (T. B.). Report of the Imperial Entomologist. — Scient. 

 Repts. Agric. Research Inst., Pusa, 1917-18', Calcutta, 1918, pp. 

 84-116, 20 plates. [Received 21st January 1919.] 



Work on cotton bollworms continued throughout the year showed 

 that at the beginning of the season, especially from July to the middle 

 of October, Earias fabia and E. insulana are the predominant species ; 

 but later on, to the end of January during the cotton-picking season, 

 Pectinophora (Platyedra) gossypiella is chiefly present and does consider- 

 able damage. Microbracon spp., which normally parasitise Earias, can 

 also attack the lavae of P. gossypiella in the shoots and pods, but are 

 imable to reach them when in the cotton seeds. The best trap-crop 

 for boUworm larvae is Hibiscus abelmoschus. The practice of sowing 

 cotton intermixed with another crop was found to be advantageous, 

 but Cajanus indicus was not found to be suitable for this purpose. 

 Other insects very injurious to cotton during the year were a weevil, 

 Pempheres affinis, a scale, Pseudococcus sp., a Cercopid, Machaerota 

 pilanitiae, and a mite, Eriophyes sp. 



Lepidopterous stem-borers in rice studied during the year were : — 

 Schoenobius iticertellus (bipunctifer), the larvae of which were found 

 dead and dry within the stubble, being too sluggish to move to safer 

 quarters when the climatic conditions became unfavourable, and also 

 being killed by exposure to the sun after ploughing the stubble in 



