30 THE AGRICULTURAL PESTS OF INDIA. 



B 



Badhya, of Hindustan. Blight attacks growing sorghum, 

 penicillaria, and zea. 



Bakoli, of Hindustan. A green caterpillar which destroys 

 rice crops. 



Bala, of Hindustan. A grub which eats the young 

 shoots of wheat and barley when about six inches high. 



Bangka, or Katua, of Hindustan. A beetle which eats 

 the rice plant. The scientific names of these four are 

 desiderata. Vernacular terms vary in different places. 



Batoeera. A genus of Longicorn coleoptera, of the 

 family Lamiidse. There are several species in India, 

 varying from three to five inches in length, with long- 

 spiny horns. One of them, Batoeera ruber, the 

 curuminga beetle of Ceylon and Southern India, 

 penetrates the trunks of young cocoa-nut trees near 

 the ground, and deposits its eggs near the centre. The 

 grubs, when hatched, eat their way to the top, and destroy 

 the leaf. Sometimes a whole plantation is attacked. 



Bear. See Mammalia. 



Beer Casks. See Tomicus. 



Bees. The popular name for the hymenopterous 

 insects of the family Apidse. See Apidse. 



Beetles. The popular name for insects of the order 

 Coleoptera. Beetles are very numerous, and a few of 

 them are useful to man ; others destroy timber and 

 seeds. A red beetle of Northern India is described in 

 Mr. Firminger's book on gardening as very destructive 

 to cucurbitaceous fruits. Species of Cerosterna, Euchirus, 

 Ligurus, Lucanidse, Melolonthidre, are among the more 

 destructive. See Coleoptera. 



