FAMILY CURCULIONIDAE 



411 



The gall is soft and greenish-brown in appearance whilst growing in 



size. After the weevil has left it it turns dark brown, 



a Forest' dries, and becomes hard and woody. The portion of 



the twig with the leaves above it dies and falls off. The 



nature of the damage done is therefore a more or less heavy pruning of the 



young branches when the insect is abundant. This is serious enough when 



Fi<;. 278. Leaf-bearing stein of Hit tea fr,>/i<l<><ti slmuini; the galls mutle by the 

 Palas-tree gall weevil (Larinus ? sp.). Seclions t tin- galls, \\ith a -rub /// situ in 

 one of them, are shown. Central Provinces. (E. P. S.) 



its effect on young trees is considered. The attack of the insect has, how- 

 ever, another aspect. The palas-tree is used for the cultivation of the lac 

 insect throughout the Central Provinces, and the twigs infested and killed by 



