16 Notes on Insects Damaging Sugar Cane in Queensland. 



yellow band margined with l)lotches of metallic silver, the hindermost 

 margin being marked with two blotches, one of which is contiguous to a 

 very conspicuous black spot near eosta ; fringes light-gray, nearly twice 

 as long as greatest width of wing. Hind-wings gray, very narrow, basal 

 fringe more than half the length of wings. Antenna^ about length of 

 body, grayish-brown, with extremity and a ring near same white. Eyes 

 brick-red. Dorsal surface of abdomen brownish ; sides and venter 

 silvery. Wing expanse. 8.50 mm. Length of body, 8.40 nnii. Artificial 

 light attracts this moth. 



A related species, Cosnioptcrjjx paUifascieUa, Snell, affects sugar- 

 cane in Java. 



Section B. — Insects eating "Sets" and Stalk below ground. 



(8) " Black Ganger" {Heteronychus sp.). 



(9) " Set Eater" (Pentodon australis, Blackb.). 



(10) " Wire Worm" {Monocrepidins sp.). 



(11) " Wliite Ant" (Termes nieridionalis, Frogg.) 



(8) HETERONYCHUS, sp. (Family SCARABAEIDAE). 



This dynastid beetle was brought under the notice of the Govern- 

 ment Entomologist in 1909 as occasioning damage in the Proserpine 

 district. Mir. Tryon, in his Annual Report, 1909-10, briefly notes its 

 occurrence as follows: — " Injuring the sugar-cane ' sets ' by gnawing 

 into them, and also damaging the young shoots by similarly injuring the 

 portion of the stem below the soil." The habits of this pest closely 

 resemble those of Isodon puncticolliti, a familiar Queensland beetle 

 (Plate IV., Fig. 52) known commonly as the "Stem Ganger," which, 

 in addition to eating sugar-cane roots, attacks tubers of potatoes and' 

 stems of tomato plants, gnawing irregular unsightly holes in the former 

 or damaging and sometimes killino- the latter. 



(9) PENTODON AUSTRALIS, Blacklx (Sub-family DYNASTIDES). 

 Plate III., Fig. 9, p. 20. 



One occasionally sees numerous specimens of this common scara- 

 baeid beetle settled on the ground under electric arc-lights at night in 

 the Brisbane Botanic Gardens. 



It has been found eating sugar-cane " sets," and, although of little 

 or no economic interest at present, is worth watching. A closely related 

 and notably injurious species, Pentodon HUDiodoii, gnaws through the 

 stems of maize stalks beneath the ground, and has called for repressive 

 measures in Russia; while Pentodon punctatua, occurring in France, eats 

 the main root of the chicory plant. 



