XXXlll 



SiKjar-caiic Borers of British Guiana. Wy 1-1. A. Okjierod, F M.S. 

 [Read August 5, 1879.] 



The insects now exhibited are specimens, in various stages, of the 

 so-called " Sugai'-cane Borers," which have leceutl}' been doing great harm 

 to the crops in British Guiana. The sugar-canes, some of which when 

 received, contained the larvae still alive, and some of the specimens in spirit, 

 are forwarded by Mr. D'Urban, of Exeter; the others are the property of 

 the Colonial Company, who have large interests in that colony and the 

 adjacent West Indian Islands, and whose plantations have been suffering 

 severely from attack. The specimens are exhibited to-night by desire of 

 the Company, who would be much gratified to receive any information as 

 to available practical methods of dealing with these attacks, and also for 

 information as to the species of the moth, which is one of the most injurious 

 of the three insects causing the damage. 



This moth is stated to be a Froceras, but, as far as I can see, it differs 

 in the imago state from the Procerus saccliarlphagus (which appeared as 

 a destructive visitation in Mauritius in 1856) in not having black spots 

 on the borders of the wings, and the larva? also have larger spots than 

 those figured and accompanying the excellent paper given by Professor 

 Westwood on the subject in the 'Gardener's Chronicle ' (July, 1856), and 

 differ in other particulars as to habits. I have had careful search made in 

 the collections at the British Museum ; but no similar moth has, I am 

 informed, yet been found there. 



Speaking on behalf of the Colonial Society, we should feel greatly 

 obliged if any lepidopterist would be kind enough to give the correct name, 

 either to myself or to the Secretary of the Colonial Society, 16, Leadenhall 

 Street. This moth is stated, from observations taken on the Leonora 

 Plantation, Demerara, and also on the Berbice Estates, to lay its eggs on 

 the tender inner leaf of the cane ; these soon hatch, and the grub sustains 

 itself on the soft tissues till its jaws are sufficiently strong, to enal)le it to 

 penetrate into the heart of the cane itself, where it drives galleries, princi- 

 pally upwards, fifteen, eighteen, or more inches in length, several of these 

 galleries being found in one cane. The entrance hole is stated to be 

 thoroughly closed by excreta, which serve as a protection against the ants, 

 and the larva is said to be remarkably active, letting itself down on removal 

 from its buri'ow by a thread some inches long, up which it returns with 

 facility, and also making much use in locomotion of its caudal extremity. 

 The pupa is not mentioned, excepting a single note of the empty husk being 

 found in the gallery, and mention of a larva being noticed (also inside 

 a cane just at the point of pupal change), differing from the Procerus 



