6 An Account of a New Moth Borer of Sugar Cane, 
TINEID MOTH-BORER. (Family TINEIDA)). 
_ Introduction. 
With view to roughly estimating the percentage of shoots destroyed 
_ by this new cane-borer, one hundred “dead-hearts’’ were collected at 
random early in November on a plantation at Meringa from shoots of 
first ratoons covering an area of four chains, which, upon being sectioned 
and carefully examined, yielded the following interesting data :— 
9 ratoons contained larve of Tineid moth. 
32 ratoons killed by larve of Tineid moth. 
6 ratoons contained larvee of Polyocha sp. 
11 ratoons probably killed by larvee of Polyocha sp. 
10 ratoons probably killed by larvee of P. truncata. 
24 ratoons killed by moth-borers other than the T'ineid. 
8 ratoons. Death due to mechanical injuries, and malforma- 
— tion of internal tissues. 
100 
A month later (5th December, 1919) ratoons affected by larve of this 
little borer were observed on a plantation at Kamma; and again at 
Gordonvale (20th December), so that in all probability the species will 
eventually prove to be widely distributed. 
It evidently attacks the crop at a very early stage of plant-growth, 
nearly all the injured shoots collected having been destroyed before 
attaining a height of 9 inches (stem length). 
A very decided infestation was noticed on 13th December at Meringa 
in a fourth locality. The cane on this block, which had been burnt and 
harvested during November, had ratooned freely in spite of drought 
conditions, and three weeks after cutting the young shoots averaged 
a foot in height. Owing to dry weather the burn had been an excep- 
tionally clean one, and yet in less than a month fully 20 per cent. of 
the stools were affected by this Tineid, many having lost from two to 
five suckers. An examination of seventy-five shoots—about 10 per 
cent. of those destroyed—on a space of about 100 feet square, gave the 
following conclusive evidence :— 
20 ratoons contained larvee of Tineid moth. 
30 ratoons killed by larve of Tineid moth. 
2 ratoons contained larvee of Polyocha sp. 
3 ratoons killed by larvee of Polyocha sp. 
5 ratoons killed by borers other than this 7'ineid. 
10 ratoons. Death due to various mechanical injuries. 
Total 75 
