COCONUT PLANTER'S MANUAL. 45 



Cocoons and Pupce. — The cocoons of the Red Weevil are formed 

 inside the cavity made in the living palm by the larvae, and are made 

 of fibrous threads wrapped closely round the pupa. The Black Beetle 

 larva makes no regular cocoon, but forms its pupa in an earthern cell 

 under refuse heaps, or hollows out a cell in the walls of old palm logs, 

 or constructs a cell out of the vegetable mould in such logs. Both of 

 these pests change into the adult stage from the pupa and the develop- 

 ment starts all over again. 



The Close Association of the Red Weevil with the 

 Black Beetle. 



These two pests are dependent on each other to some extent for pro- 

 viding breeding places, and it has been pointed out by other writers that 

 they do far more damage working together than either of them would 

 be able to accomplish alone. For instance, the Black Beetle bores a hole 

 in the crown of a perfectly sound and healthy palm, which ordinarily 

 would be proof against weevil attack. This injury, however, lets in 

 the Red Weevil to lay its eggs in the wound, and its larvae kill or 

 seriously injure the palms. The dead or dying palm forms a suitable 

 breeding place for the Black Beetle larva?, which complete their deve- 

 lopment and emerge as beetles to injure more palms. Since these two 

 pests are both more or less prevalent throughout the coconut areas in 

 Ceylon, and are so closely associated with each in their attacks 

 on the palms, it is of vital importance to the coconut 

 industry that niore attention should be paid to their control. The 

 coconut palm during the first ten or twelve years of its life is 

 particularly liable to injury by these two beetles, whose methods 

 of attack are not so conspicuous as those of the Coconut 

 Caterpillar, but far more deadly. There is still far too great a tendency 

 among coconut growers to leave young palms to take care of themselves 

 until they come into bearing, although thex^e is a steadily increasing 

 number of planters who are beginning to realize that the extra care 

 and attention given to palms in their early years is well worth the 

 trouble and expense involved, and may be regarded as a sound invest- 

 ment. This brings us to the measures of control which must be adopted, 

 both remedial and preventive. 



Control Measures. 

 The control of the Black Beetle, as outlined in leaflet No. 21, will 

 help to reduce the number of injured palms in which Red Weevils are 

 likely to lay their eggs and breed, and will therefore assist in the con- 



