On hybrids of Batocera albofasciata 

 and gigas 



by 



Dr. K. W. Dammerman. 



(With pi. 13 and 14). 



While stud)'ing the economic significance of a number of 

 Cerambycids, which Hve in the isle of Java in the Indian 

 rubbertree, Ficus elastica ^), some deviating forms of Batocera' s 

 had fallen into the hands of the author. These had partly 

 been caught in the field, parti)- been reared on Ficus-wood. 



These deviations generally much resemble the Batocera 

 gigas Drap., but hav^e, like Batocera albofasciata DE Geer, 

 a number of white spots ~) on the eh'tra, generally two, 

 sometimes even three or four. As both above-mentioned 

 Batocera-^^^QCi&s in breeding had never yielded such deviations 

 it was evident, that these might be hybrids between the two 

 species, which often occur side b}- side in Ficus-plantations. 



In order to solve this problem, experiments of cross-breeding 

 have been made between the two species of Batocera' s. 



Before communicating the results of these experiments, 

 something may be said here about the breeding itself of 

 these beetles. 



Taken on the whole the breeding of such large Ceramb}'cids 

 in tropical regions is not so difficult as in temperate zones; 

 one generally obtains two, in favourable circumstances even 

 three generations in a year, viz. two in the rain\- season, 

 from November till April, while the third generation remains 



1) See Dammerman, De hoorders in Ficus elastica, Med. 7, Afd. voor 

 Plantenziekten, Batavia 1913. ^ 



2) In life-time these patches are brimstone-coloured, only after death 

 they become pure white. 



I I 



