The Borer. 269 



M. Chevrolat, it has been identified as the Xylotre- 

 chus Quadrupes. 



Whole estates in Coorg and other districts have 

 been entirely destroyed by this scourge. In its 

 complete stage, the insect appears as a fly or 

 winged beetle ; it is from half to three quarters of 

 an inch in length, rather finer in shape than a 

 wasp, with a hard, shiny coat, in colour red and 

 black, or in other cases yellow and black, in alter- 

 nate transverse lines. (The difference of colour is 

 believed to indicate the sexes.) This fly or beetle 

 bores a passage into the stem of the coffee-tree, 

 usually some few inches above the ground. This 

 passage, at first horizontal, soon takes an upward 

 spiral direction and proceeds for a certain distance, 

 until a safe retreat is found in which the larva may 

 be deposited. The tree soon begins to droop, and 

 in a short time dies down to the point where the 

 entry has been effected, at which part it can be 

 easily broken off by a sharp pull at the upper 

 part. 



The only course is to break off the tree in this 

 manner, and then to burn the stem with the larva 

 secreted in its centre. The borer always works 

 upwards. Young shoots will, in most cases, pro- 

 ceed from the stump (if the perforation has not 

 begun too near the roots), and one of these may be 

 trained to succeed the original stem. 



