95 



America. The eggs are parasitised by two Hymenoptera, Ceram- 

 bicobins cicadae, Gir., var. minor, n., and Archirileya inopinata, Silv. 

 The hfe-history of the former resembles that of Ceramhicobius cicadae 

 parasitising Cicada pleheja [R.A.E., A, vii, 65] ; that of the latter 

 has been dealt with under the parasites of Oecanthus pellucens, Scop. 

 [R.A.E., A, ix, 175]. 



Cicada plebeja, Scop., oviposits in the stems of herbaceous plants 

 or in the dry or nearly dry twigs of ligneous plants. In southern 

 Italy oviposition was chiefly seen in the stems of Arundo pliniana. 

 The eggs are laid in batches of 4-12 in cells made with the ovipositor. 

 If stems containing eggs are kept in a dry place, the larvae do not 

 hatch. In nature hatching must take place after rain or heavy dews. 



The following egg-parasites of C. pleheja have been observed : 

 Ceramhicobius cicadae, Gir., Centrodora cicadae, Silv., and, less frequently, 

 Archirileya inopinata, Silv. The mite, Pedicidoides ventricosus, 

 destroys the eggs and may also become a secondary parasite attacking 

 the larvae and pupae of the Hymenoptera. The Chalcid, Homoporiis 

 fidviventris. Walk., also appears to be a secondary parasite, as it attacks 

 the larvae of Ceranihicohiiis. 



BoNDAR (G.). La Larve de la Noix des Palmiers. — Broteria, Braga, 

 Ser. Zool., xix, no. 3, 1st December 1921, pp. 125-135, 5 figs. 



In the north of Brazil and especially in the State of Bahia, the nuts 

 of palms, particularly those of the genus Cocos, are infested by the 

 larvae of a Bruchid beetle, Pachymerits {BrncJins) nncleorum, F. This 

 larva is edible and highly esteemed as a delicacy, those from the 

 nuts of Attalea speciosa being the most prized. As palm oil is obtained 

 from Elaeis giiineensis and from a number of native palms, and as 

 an oil factory has reported that one-third of its supplies of nuts were 

 infested, the subject is of economic interest. 



The adult, which lives for about a month, is nocturnal in habit. 

 The female deposits from 15 to 20 eggs daily for about ten days and 

 then dies. In June and July the egg-stage was observed to last 

 15-18 days. After feeding for about two and a half months, the 

 larva pupates. Pupation lasts three weeks, and after remaining 

 within the nut for a further week, the adult cuts its way out. The 

 entire life-cycle lasts about six months. On the nuts of Elaeis giiineensis 

 the eggs are laid at the base, and the newly-hatched larvae near the 

 sap-channels are able to reach the interior of the nut in two or three 

 days, but of those that hatch elsewhere many die of starvation, though 

 occasionally one succeeds in boring through the hard shell. Only 

 one or two larvae reach the interior out of from five to ten eggs laid 

 on a nut. The nuts are never attacked when they are still in the 

 spathes except when the pulp has already been injured through some 

 other cause. Those that are infested are nearly always those that 

 have fallen. There is not much risk of infestation in buildings, though 

 the adults that emerge from nuts already infested may attack other 

 nuts in the store. 



An Ordinance to facilitate the Control of Plant Pests and Diseases, 

 and of Plants injurious to Live Stock. No. 38 of 1921. — [Dar-es- 

 Salaam] Tanganyika Territory, 9th November 1921. 



This ordinance is designed to give general powers under which 

 future regulations may be published for the purposes mentioned in 

 the title. 



