216 



rKOCEEDIXGS OF THE THIRD EMOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



Monohammus versteegi, Rits. 



This species occurs in Assam, where the larva bores in the pith of 

 young stems of orange trees, the result of the attack being that the leaves 

 turn yellow and the branch withers. We have specimens from Khowang 

 and Haflong, in both cases reared from larvae boring orange stems, and 

 also from Noiigpoh. 



It is found in some districts of the Surma Valley. There are three 

 borers of orange, one in the shoots and two in the stem. The two latter 

 differ in the nature of the damage they do to the Stem. 



One of these is M. versteegi and the other is a Buprestid. The eggs 

 are laid just above the ground and the places of deposition may be seen 

 by the slits made in the bark. 



If the eggs are always deposited near the base of the stem it should be 

 possible to protect this portion by smearing on some repellent or applying 

 some mechanical preventive such as by tacking on oiled paper. 



[Dihammus fistulator, Germ. 



At Matale a rubber tree nine years old came down in a wind and from 

 above five feet upwards the trunk was hollowed out by this beetle. It is 

 said to be a pest of cacao also. 



Under the name Monohammus fistidator Mr. Froggatt has recently 

 described [Agricl. Gaz. N. S. Wales XXX. pp. 37-38, tab. (2nd January 

 1919)] this species as damagmg passion-fruit vines in New South Wales 

 and states that he has also found it boring in stems of cultivated fig- 

 trees at Sydney. It is widely distributed in India, Ceylon, the Malay 

 Archipelago, Java, Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and South 

 Africa, but we do not have any record of its being a pest in India . 1 



Linda nigroscutata, Fairm. (Plate 8.) 

 This species was found in 1918 at Shillong, where the adults occurred 

 fairly commonly on apple trees in June and July and were generalh- 

 found resting on the shoots or leaves and occasionally feeding on the 

 latter. In captivity the beetles fed on the leaves and also on the bark 

 of apple twigs, but did not oviposit. Under. natural conditions, however, 

 the beetle girdles the twig more or less (usually rather less) completely, 

 makes a slit at right angles to the girdling and above it, slightly detaches 

 the bark on one side of this sUt and thrusts in an egg under this loosened 

 bark. The larva on hatching bores upwards into the twig find thrusts 

 its longish pellets of frass out through holes cut in the twig, which of 

 course dies off and shrivels up. This is a serious pest, doing considerable 

 The only control method possible is hand-collection of the 



