362 FAMILY CERAMBYCIDAE 



Infested trees should be dug out and either burnt in toto, root, stem, and 

 branch, or the parts slit up, and the grubs, pupae, or beetles they are found 

 to contain killed on the spot. 



In small plantations the stems of the saplings should be painted for 

 six inches below and one foot above ground with a mixture of cow-dung 

 and clay to which paraffin has been added. This will prevent the beetles 

 ovipositing on the stems. 



Out in the forest badly infested trees are easily marked down, and they 

 should be felled and cut up and burnt, for if left standing they serve as 

 centres from which the infection would spread to unaffected trees.* 



BATOCERA. 



The genus includes one of the commonest of the large longicorns to be 

 found throughout the plains of India, and a pest of considerable importance. 



Batocera rubra, Linn. 



REFERENCES. Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. x, p. 390; Stebbing, Note on the Duki Fig-tree Borer, For. Bull. 



no. 10 (1907). 



Habitat. Baluchistan : Duki, Loralai (Col. C. A. Kemball), Fort 

 Sandeman (Major Roome et mihi) ; Dehra Dun ; Pusa (Lefroy). 



Trees Attacked. Fig-tree (Ficus carica) : Baluchistan ; Mango (Mangi- 

 fera indica). 



Beetle. A large stout insect with long antennae and legs. Black or ferruginous yellow, 

 dull, with a series of dirty yellowish spots on the elytra. Head vertical, mandibles long and 



powerful. Antennae black ; a row of sharp small teeth on inner 



Description. edge of the third joint. Prothorax transversely ridged on the anterior 



and posterior edges with irregular ridges and wavy lines on the 



intermediate portion. At ths sides the thorax is produced medianly into a sharp pointed 

 tooth. Four orange spots are placed circularly on the dorsal median area. Elytra 

 truncate at the base with well-marked shoulders which end in small sharp teeth ; they 

 are constricted and rounded at the apical end. The basal quarter is studded with small, 

 shining, rather scattered projecting elevations which are largest at the base and decrease in 

 size anteriorly. Rest of surface smooth. Two irregular longitudinal lines of yellow spots, 

 seventeen or less in number, on each elytra. In some specimens these spots form a well- 

 defined line near the apex of the elytra. The last segment of the body is left exposed by the 

 elytra. Under-surface black, shining, with a broad lateral white strip running down each side. 

 Legs ferruginous black. 



The male is distinguished from the female by having the antennae longer than the total 

 length of the insect. In the female the antennae do not reach to the apex of the elytra; 

 length, 49 mm. to 56 mm. In pi. \xvi, figs, c, ^depict a side and dorsal view of the female beetle, 

 fig. e the head of the male beetle, and figs, f to /'variations in the number of spots on the elytra. 



' f Since this was written Mr. V. Subramarian Iyer, Acting Forest Zoologist, published the 

 following note on this insect (in For. Bull. no. 11, 2nd sen 1912) : "The thick white grubs 

 bore into the wood of the roots of the tree in Nellore and Cuddalore. I found another specimen 

 of Coelosterna spinator in North Arcot, the damage done by which is probably similar to 

 C. scabrata. The existence of this latter in the grub stage was easily detected by the amount 

 of sawdust found near the base of the saplings attacked, which ultimately die. In May and 

 June 1910 I saw traces of this borer in the casuarina plantations of Cuddalore, and I received 

 beetles of C. scabrata from Nellore." Mr. Iyer is, however, incorrect in his inference that 

 C. scabrata is identical with the unidentified longicorn described under Lamia sp. on p. 379 



