282 COCOA 



CHAP. 



cocoa fruits, making their tunnels in the fruit-wall and 

 penetrating into the interior between the seeds. The 

 seeds themselves are not attacked, but are spoiled to a 

 great extent. Much of the life-history has been elucidated 

 by Zehntner. 1 The eggs are laid against the fruit- wall, 

 by preference in the furrows. They are reddish or orange 

 coloured. After six or seven days the larva makes its 

 appearance. It is only 1 mm. long, and begins at once 

 to bore into the fruit-wall. Its colour is yellowish, and 

 browner towards the end of the body. During about 

 fifteen to eighteen days the larvae live in the fruit and 





FIG. 96. Fruit attacked by cocoa-moth. 



make their tunnels in the pulp (Fig. 96). Finally they 

 again bore through the fruit-wall, and leave the fruit in 

 order to pupate. For this purpose they choose by pre- 

 ference the leaves, but sometimes also the pupae are 

 found on the fruits. The pupation takes place under a 

 little film, a sort of cocoon made by the caterpillar just 

 before pupating. It covers the pupa well, and protects 

 it against noxious influences. After five to eight days 

 the moth appears. The body, with the wings, is about 

 7 mm. long and about 2 mm. broad. The lifetime of 

 the moth is not yet well established. Probably it lives 



1 Zehntner, Bulletins 1, 4, 6, and 7 van het Proefstation voor Cacao te 

 Salatiga. See also DC Nieuice Gids, III. pp. 567-584. 



