FAMILY CURCULIONIDAE 445 



the toddy palm, when extracting the toddy liquor from the tree. The 

 grubs on hatching out tunnel through into the stem and gradually eat 

 out an ever widening and lengthening gallery which penetrates into the 

 heart of the stem. When the insect is infesting the trees in numbers 

 these tunnels intersect and remove the bulk of the growing parts of the 

 tree, which is thus killed. 



The generations of the insect would appear to overlap even in the 

 North of India, for throughout the country the insect is to be found in 

 most months of the year (save the winter) in all the stages of larva, 

 pupa, and beetle. For instance, in Indian Museum Notes it is reported 

 that Mr. Ridley found the insect in all stages in date-palms in 

 the Lucknow Horticultural Gardens in April 1890, whilst it was 

 reported the same year by Mr. Gollan as infesting date-palms in the 

 Saharampur Botanical Gardens. In each case the insect had killed 

 several trees. 



The methods of combating attacks of this pest are similar to those 

 already detailed on p. 89 for the rhinoceros beetle, whose attacks are often 

 accompanied by this weevil. 



CERCIDOCERUS. 

 Cercidocerus lateralis, Fahrs. 



REFERENCE. Fahrs. Schh. Gen. Cure, viii, 2, p. 232. 



Habitat. South Coimbatore, Madras. Also reported from Java. 



Tree Attacked. Dalbergia paniculata. Mount Stuart, Anamalai Hills, 

 South Coimbatore. 



Beetle. An elongate brown weevil, easily recognizable by the peculiar antennal club ; 

 the funiculus terminates in an appendage which has the appearance of, and is inserted in the 



manner of the anther of, the stamen of a liliaceous plant, i.e. it has 

 Description. the appearance of a square-headed polo stick. The proboscis is 



elongate, and capable of a considerable amount of boring work. 

 The elytra leave two segments of the body exposed to view. Length, 10 mm. to 12 mm. 



$ Differs from male in the antenna terminating in a mere knob instead of the '' anther " 

 shaped structure. Only one segment of the abdomen is left exposed by the elytra. 



I took specimens of this curious weevil on I iiiihfr^ui fmniculatj saplings, 



on the leaves of which it was feeding. The insects were 



Life History. taken at the end of July 1902, in the Mount Stuart 



forests in South Coimbatore. The weevil was not 



abundant, and I am unable to say whether the defoliation committed is 

 serious. The beetles were pairing at the time of capture. I kept a male 

 and female for over a week alive in a tube without food. During this period 

 they bored half an inch through the cork, and paired several times. I do not 

 know where the grubs live. 



