THE ANIMAL LIFE OF THE GROUP. 395 



less had a beneficial effeot, however, and the pest is not so serious as in former 

 .years. 



Many species of smaller introduced beetles do more or less daniat>e to 

 various cultivated plants or stored conmiodities. Among- the more eonnnon, or 

 those liable to attract attention, are the rice weevil,'"^ the coffee-bean weevil.-'-' 

 the rust-red flour beetle ""' on i-iee, the sisal weevil -." the cadelle beetle,*^ a 

 whitish grub destructive to stored prodiicts, as rice ; the tobacco leaf-beetle,'" 

 the carpet beetle, ■"* the cigarette beetle :*'' the mango weevil,*" supposed to have 

 been introduced in 1903 ; the bean weevii,-*' the common ground beetle,** the 

 algaroba bean weevil,-*" and the algaroba pod weevil,-''' both feeding on alga- 

 roba beans. In addition there are long-horned beetles of several species on 

 algaroba, black wattle and various other trees, as well as numerous species of 

 bark beetles — but a sufficient number have been enumerated to indicate the 

 nature of the imported pests in this order of insect.s. 



Le.\f-Rolling Moths. 



Mention has been made of the sugar-cane leaf-roller »i as an injurious moth 

 belonging to the order Lepidoptera. With it might be considered the cocoanut 

 leaf-roller,-'- which is especially destructive to the cocoanut leaves, and the 

 common banana leaf-roller,-"'^ one of the four species that infest the banana 

 plants to some extent. All three are native species belonging to a genus of 

 twelve or more species of fair-sized, brown moths that occur in Hawaii and 

 nowhere else, and that are peculiar in their leaf-rolling habits. The larva? or 

 caterpillar of all species are very similar in appearance, varying in size in 

 proportion to the adult. They feed voraciou.sly on the green leaves during the 

 period of growth and fold the leaf by fastening two portions togethei- with 

 silken threads. "When full grown, which requires thi-ee oi- four weeks usually. 

 they change to the pupa within the folded leaf and remain doi-mant for one or 

 two weeks. 



The ragged, unsightly edges on palm leaves, especially of the cocoanut 

 palm, is the result of the work of this leaf-roller. As it is abundant, and the 

 largest species of the genus, it is readily collected and studied. The egg 

 masses, with thirty to eighty eggs in a cluster, are placed along the midrib 

 on the new leaves as they open. As from four to six broods are reared in a 

 year, the work of defoliation continues as rapidly ;is the palm jiuts out new 

 leaves. The mynah bird is very fond of the larva- of the palm leaf-roller and 

 without doubt helps to reduce their niunbci-s. 



The bean leaf-roller -'■' feeds on several species of native beans, including 

 the wiliwili, and to some extent on garden beans. In feeding they hold the 

 leaves together with a silken thread and eat the inner surface of the leaf, 

 leaving the outer surface undisturbed. 



Some of the species of this genus, including the sngai--cane leaf-roller, are 



'" T,,l,..li„,„ ::,,„, linciim. '^ Pseiidalus lani/ulus. 



■■hn.-< nHiii'iilrr.t. ^' H , ii ,-}, nS pYOSOpis. 



..,,,«. '■" CtniuhnniH „ni,„,,ra. ^'- Omiodes accepta. 



