616 



Fkoggatt (W. W.j. The Shot-hole Borer {Platypus omnivorus, Lea). — 

 Agric. Gaz., N.S.W., Svdnev, xxxii, pt. 9, September 1921, 

 pp. 645-648, 5 figs. 



The damage caused by Anohium domesticwn and Lyctus brunneus 

 (powder-post beetle) has already been noticed [R.A.E., A, vi, 390; 

 viii, 333]. Shot-hole borers, of which Platypus omnivorus, Lea, is a 

 typical example, may infest timber in the forest, logs in sawmills, and 

 boards stacked in sheds for seasoning, by boring circular burrows 

 into the timber through the bark. 



P. omnivorus is widely distributed through the New South Wales 

 coastal forests, and the principal timbers damaged are Trochocarpa 

 laurina, blackwood {Acacia melanoxylon), corkwood {Schizomeria 

 ovata), sassafras {Doryphora sassafras) and coach wood {Cerapctalmn 

 apetalum). The beetles are active from December to February, 

 penetrating the sapwood and boring into the solid material of the 

 logs. A sawmill inspection in February of newly sawn boards showed 

 many beetles in burrows, some ovipositing, and some active larvae. 



The measures recommended are the removal and destruction of 

 all dead and dying trees from forest areas. Timber cut and stacked 

 should be sprinkled beneath the stacks and between the layers with 

 a 5 per cent, solution of water and carbolic acid mixed with sawdust 



Illing WORTH (J. F.). Monthly Notes on Grubs and other Cane Pests. 

 (Fourth Series). — Queensland Bur. Sugar Expt. Sta., Div. Ent., 

 Brisbane, 1920-1921, BuU. 15, 39 pp., 4 figs. 



This bulletin collates the results of investigations on sugar-cane 

 pests in Queensland from July 1920 to May 1921, most of which have 

 already been noticed [R.A.E., A, ix, 89, 219, 295, 455, 531]. 



Froggatt (J. L.). Banana Beetle Borer Investigations (First Progress 



Report). — Queensland Agric. Jl., Brisbane, xvi, pt. 3, September 

 1921, pp. 200-208, 4 plates. 



Investigations carried out on Cosmopolites sordidus (banana beetle- 

 borer) from 1st January to 30th June 1921, are recorded. The eggs 

 are laid singly, and usually within two feet of the cut end of stems 

 lying in the plantations, just beneath the surface, and close to the 

 crown of the corm where it is attached to the stem. The larvae 

 hatch in 17-21 days, and in the warm season take from 3-4 weeks 

 to mature. They feed principally on the corm, sometimes tunnehing 

 into the central core of the stem, and may do considerable damage. 

 The pupal chamber in the corm is below ground level, but the position 

 varies in cut stems, though it is generally just beneath the surface. 

 A pupa from a larva in a corm in the laboratory at the end of May 

 matured in 14 days. The beetle lies dormant in the pupal chamber 

 for several days. 



The adult weevils do not fly, and avoid light. They feed on the 

 corms and rotting stems. Their life is of considerable duration. 

 Immediately after heavy rains their numbers under corm baits diminish, 

 but their habitat at these times has not yet been determined. Corms, or 

 stems with the corm attached, left lying about serve as breeding places. 



The only natural enemy so far known in Queensland is an Elaterid 

 larva. 



The baits recommended have already been noticed [R.A.E., A, 

 vii, 86 ; viii, 394, etc.]. Every precaution should be taken to prevent 

 this pest from spreading into uninfested plantations. 



