132 SPICES 



CHAP. 



eggs one month later. It does not fly readily, but can 

 be shaken off the tree or destroyed by hand picking. 



Spangle -scale Lecamium expansum, Freem., var. 

 metallicum. This is a rounded, oval, flat scale-insect, 

 ^ in. across, of a pale green colour at first, with a fine 

 ridge across the back and four tubes, two on either side. 

 It is very firmly attached to the leaf on the upper side, 

 so that it is difficult to detach it without breaking it. 

 Beneath, when adult, are to be seen the larvae, very 

 small red or black fleshy insects. It is met with on 

 the leaves of the nutmeg, usually on the upper surface. 

 I have found it in Singapore and Malacca, and usually 

 on weakly trees. These scale -insects suck the juice 

 of the leaf with their beaks, and are sometimes very 

 injurious. This one is, however, not very common, and 

 the Chinese planters who knew it said it was not in- 

 jurious. It eventually becomes silvery in colour and 

 prettily reticulated, hence its English name. 



A white Coccus is not rare on weakly trees, but 

 appears usually to do but little harm. If numerous, the 

 leaves should be washed with a solution of soft-soap 

 and tobacco-water, or phenyl mixed with water, and 

 sprayed with syringe. 



Where these blights are seen it may be assumed 

 that the plant is weak and requires manuring. 



Formica smaragdina. This common red ant, 

 known as the keringga in the Malay Peninsula, makes 

 its nest by drawing together the leaves of a tree and 

 attaching them with silk. It is troublesome not only 

 on account of its bite, but also because it spoils the 

 leaves by sewing them together, thus causing them to 

 die. They are almost a certain sign that there is blight 

 on the tree, as they live largely on the sugary excretion 

 of the coccidae, and frequently bring the pests to the 

 tree from elsewhere as a food supply, and thus are 

 injurious. They also, however, kill caterpillars and 

 other noxious insects, and are in this way useful. They 

 are easily evicted by destroying the nests with a blow 

 of a stick, or killed by any ordinary insecticide. 



