10 Notes on Insects Damaging Sugar Cane in Queensland. 



growers in the above district consist in the use of well-known baits 

 composed of short pieces of split cane which are laid on headlands. 

 They have also found it a good i)lan to clean up all catie sticks lying 

 on the ground, broken tops, &c., these having been noticed to be more 

 badly infested than undamaged cane. ]\Ir. R. Davis, of Daraji. has 

 observed that this beetle Avorks in the centre as well as borders of a field 

 and apparently prefers variety Badila to any other. 



(4) POLYOCHA, sp. (Family PYRALIDAEV 

 Plate I., Fig. 4, p. 6. 



This interesting moth-borer, which has not previously been recorded 

 as a cane pest in Queensland, was found by the writer damaging yo\ing 

 ratoon shoots at Pyramid during November, the injury occasionally 

 being identical in character with that caused by the well known ' ' Noctuid 

 Moth-Borer" {Phragmatiphila truncata {see pages 7-8)). 



Although of little economic importance, the species deserves mention 

 in view of its harmful propensities and possible increase in the future. 

 An allied species, Folyoclia saccliarella, Dugd., attacks sugar-cane in India. 



Description of Larva. 



General colour light bluish-green. Prothoracic-plate black, with 

 ■anterior margin green. Second thoracic segment with a centro-dorsal 

 smoky-brown blotch adjoining prothoracie-plate and enclosing a central 

 black blotch. Abdominal segments with a dark-brown median line of 

 blotches, and dorsal surface more or less clouded with light pink. Anal 

 segment with a small terminal dark-brown plate, and red extermity. 

 Prolegs green; anal claspers blotched on outer sides with dark brown. 

 Head light yellow ; mandibles black. Body tapering towards each end 

 and supporting a few scattered long white hairs. Length, about 11 mm. 

 The larva pupates in its tunnel in the centre of the shoot; a specimen at 

 the Laboratory assumed the pupal stage on 22nd November, the imago 

 emerging on 12th December, after an interval of twenty days. 



Description of Pupa. 



Yellowish-brown, darker on head-end. Abdominal segments coarsely 

 punctate, except on hind margins — viz., about one-third width of seg- 

 ment — which are smooth, and brown instead of cream-coloured. 

 Extremity of anal segment blunt and rounded, but without hooks or 

 spines. Length, 15 mm. Greatest width, 3-50 mm. 



Colouration of Moth. 

 Pore-wings shaded with pinkish-gray; the nervures, costal border, 

 and areas between lower radial nervure and inner margin of wing 



