567 



the grass blades. Underground roots do not appear to be eaten, 

 but the grass seems to die owing to the larva gnawing down to the base 

 from the surface. The pupa rests at the bottom of the tunnel, but 

 works its way to the surface when emergence is about to occur. The 

 moths are not attracted by light sufficiently to suggest trapping. 



This species is undoubtedly a native of the scrub, and the change 

 to pastures has favoured its rapid increase. In the worst situations 

 some grasses have been killed in small patches, and in any case the 

 larvae cause a serious depletion of the pastures, which cannot, there- 

 fore, carry their full complement of stock. As the damage is chiefly 

 done in the dry months, when good grazing is essential, this is a serious 

 matter. Where the larvae are abundant as many as thirty can be 

 dug up in one cubic foot of soil. 



Jumping spiders catch a few moths. Nightjars doubtless destroy 

 many others, but on the tableland there is a marked absence of birds 

 that might be helpful. 



Heavy rain, or an excessively wet season, may go far toward 

 restricting their numbers. The month of March 1921 was exceedingly 

 wet, and in April it was found that the coverings of the tunnels had 

 .been washed away and many of the mouths of the shafts closed. In 

 one badly infested field dead pupae were found that had failed to 

 break through the soil washed over the opening. 



HuTsoN (J. C). Report of the Government Entomologist on his Visit 

 to Batticaloa in connection with the Pests oJ Coconut Cultivation. — 



Trop. Agric, Peradeniya, Ceylon, Ivii, no. 2, August 1921, pp. 

 124-130. 



Nephantis serinopa (black-headed coconut caterpillar) usually 

 confines its attacks to certain more or less definite areas, where the 

 trees are less vigorous. It rarely spreads to healthy trees. The 

 caterpillars apparently prefer the older leaves to the younger and 

 healthier ones in the crown of the tree. On neglected estates the pest 

 may spread rapidly, and the weaker trees succumb. All infested 

 leaves should be cut off and burnt and the trees maintained in a 

 vigorous condition by good cultivation and judicious manuring in 

 conjunction with sanitary methods. Light traps should be employed 

 to catch the moths as they emerge, before oviposition can take place. 



Oryctes rhinoceros (rhinoceros beetle) is quite common in the district. 

 All dead stumps should be destroyed and no other decaying vegetable 

 matter or heaps of manure and animal refuse should be left longer 

 than three months without being covered with sand. Stumps should 

 be removed and split and the cavities in the roots excavated and 

 filled in with sand to a depth of about eight inches. Dead palms 

 should be cut through at soil level. 



Rhy7tchophorits ferrugineus (red weevil) lays its eggs in all palms 

 injured by Oryctes rhinoceros or other agencies. Where possible all 

 palms with their top roots and base stem exposed should be protected 

 from attack by surrounding them with a heaped ring of coconut 

 husks and filling the intervening space with soil. To prevent this 

 acting as a breeding-ground for 0. rhinoceros it should be covered with 

 sand. This method not only proves an effective means of protecting 

 the vulnerable part of the tree, but also improves its general 

 condition. 



