102 THE AGRICULTURAL PESTS OF INDIA. 



says a species of Hoplosternus is the common chafer of 

 Queensland. Its grub destroys the roots of the sugar- 

 cane, causing the leaves to become brown and dry up ; 

 the growth of the cane is thus arrested, and the first high 

 wind knocks its over. In this manner whole fields of 

 cane are killed. In the early stage, the larvae are 

 occupied in gnawing the root. In November and December, 

 the chafers, fully developed, appear above ground in 

 swarms, remaining inactive during the day, but feeding 

 eagerly at night. An ant, the Formica saccharivora, is 

 supposed to get at the sweet juices of this plant. The 

 waxy sugar-cane louse, known to the Mauritius and 

 Bourbon planters as Le pou a poche blanche, is the 

 Icerya sacchari. It occurs in Queensland, and Mr. Eoth 

 supposes that it is milked by a small black ant, Formica 

 rufoiiigra, in the same manner as species of Aphides are 

 milked by other ants. He considers it to be a cause of 

 injury to the cane. The sugar-cane beetle of the United 

 States is the Ligyrus ruficeps, Le C. It is a stout black 

 beetle, half an inch long, which bores into the stalk of 

 the sugar-cane under ground. Sugar-cane ravages in 

 Grenada are caused by the cane spittle-fly, Delphax 

 saccharivora; in Natal, by the cane smut, Ustilago 

 sacchari, a disease analagous to the smut of wheat and 

 maize ; in the Mauritius, by the Proceras sacchariphagus, 

 which Mr. Westwood has supposed may be identical with 

 the Diatnea sacchari, Guilding, and Phalrena sacchari, 

 Fabricius. The * borer ' of the Queensland cane has been 

 supposed to be the larva of this Diatmea sacchari. It 

 enters the cane above ground, and eats up the heart. It 

 is believed to be identical with the borer of the Mauritius, 

 the Proceras sacchariphagus. 



The wire-worm, larvte of the click-beetle, are to be 



