490 



Potassium sulphide or crude oil emulsion should be sprayed on to the 

 bushes from below. Enojjhyes {Phytopttts) tlieae can be controlled 

 in a similar way. The most important spraying materials are enumer- 

 ated and their preparation described. Caustic soda is useful as a 

 contact insecticide against scale-insects. The most suitable strength 

 is, caustic soda (98 per cent, purity) 2 lb., water 10 gals. The value 

 of this solution is increased by the addition of kerosene. The mixture 

 known as Woburn wash, consists of | lb. soft soap, 5 pints kerosene, 

 2 lb. caustic soda and 9| gals, water. Soda copper emulsion and 

 soda iron emulsion are similar preparations in which the soap is replaced 

 by copper and iron respectively. Lead chromate is used at a strength 

 of lib. of the powder or l|lb. of paste in 60 gals, water. Resin, 

 dissolved in soda, is useful against tea-aphis and scale-insects. An 

 effective formula is 81b. resin, 1 lb. caustic soda and 30 gals, water. 

 For use against thrips, the following formula is recommended : 2 lb. 

 resin, 1 lb. washing soda, 2 gals, water. To this stock solution 6-10 

 gals, water are added. The paper concludes with a description of 

 various spraying machines and the organisation of spraying operations. 



Coconut Beetle Traps. — Trojncal Agric, Peradeniya, xliv, no. 4, April 

 1915, p. 236. 



Experiments have recently been conducted to determine whether 

 a certain fungus discovered by Dr. Friederichs, is parasitic on Oryctes 

 rhinoceros, the coconut beetle. Results have shown that the fungus 

 is parasitic on the larva, but only to a limited extent. The fungus 

 was gro\\ii on rice in order to obtain sufficient material for infecting 

 beetle traps in the field, but these have, up to the present, given no 

 results, as no beetles appear to have visited them to oviposit. 



GiRAULT (A. A.) & DoDD (A. p.). The Cane Grubs of Australia. — 



Queensland Bureau of Sugar Eiyt. Sta., Div. of Entom., Brisbane, 

 Bull. no. 2, 1915, 60 pp." 



The following data on various phases of the life-history and habits 

 of cane beetles were obtained from insects collected at Gordonvale, 

 Queensland. Lepidiota alhohirta occurs as a larva in canefields of 

 volcanic, sandy loam and clay-loam soils, in natural forest or bush, 

 mider the roots of corn and grasses, etc. The larvae subsist largely 

 upon the organic matter in the soil, attacking hving vegetation at 

 the same time. Eggs are deposited in the soil at a depth of fiom 6 to 7 

 inches. The average duration of the larval stage is about two months. 

 Pupae were found in October and November at a depth of from 3 to 15 

 inches ; the length of the pupal stage exceeds 27 days. Adults 

 occurred from November to March. The adults appear to emerge 

 from the ground soon after sundown. Flight to a suitable tree near a 

 canefield takes place and feeding begins at 0]ice. The beetles are 

 quiescent during the night and during full daylight, flight only taking 

 place in early morning and eveiiing. Ficus spp. are the commonest 

 food-plants of the adult. Banana, Acacias'^., Eucalyptus corymbosa, 

 and E. tessellaria are also frequently attacked. Lepidiota frenchi 

 occurs throughout north-east Queensland, and is found in both forest 



