722 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIED ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



distance on the substratum all round the egg. They are deposited 

 singly but there may be Several to many eggs on the same pod. On 

 hatching from the egg the young grubs gnaw their way into the pod 

 and ultimately into the seeds inside the pod. They feed and grow 

 inside the pod. They feed and grow inside the seeds which are harvested 

 and brought into the store. They attain the adult stage by about 

 May- June but do not leave the seeds. From July onwards a few beetles 

 may emerge out of the seeds but sit quietly and rest among the grains 

 or under some shelter in the store. All emerge and fly out in December 

 and January and lay eggs. 



A quantity of the Small field-pea pods which had eggs on them was 

 picked out and kept separately and 50 per cent, of the seeds of these 

 pods proved to be damaged. Taking whole fields together the amount 

 of damage normally has been found to vary from about 3 to 7 per cent. 

 A lot of the seeds from the field which showed a damage of 7 per cent. 

 was Sunned after harvest consecutively for seven days in the hot sun 

 in March. In the sunned lot with no further treatment the damage 

 was reduced to about 2^ per cent. By storing the seeds in airtight 

 jars with naphthaline in March, or treating them with carbon bisulphide 

 at this time, the damage was entirely prevented. When the seeds 

 are harvested the grubs which have lodged themselves inside them are 

 quite young and, if they are killed at this time, the Seeds remain practi- 

 cally undamaged. 



Bruchus sj). (Plate U)8). 



This is an unidentified species of a pulse beetle which has been 

 observed to breed in bean seeds in store. It probably breeds as well 

 in the fields, where eggs are laid on the green pods. In the store the 

 eggs, as usual with this class of beetles, are deposited on the seeds as 

 shown in the figure. Fresh generations occur after about a month. 

 This beetle is therefore also capable of very serious damage. 



Lasioderma serricome (Plate 109). 



This sm^ll red beetle, commonly known as the cheeroot beetle, bores 

 and breeds m turmeric, dry ginger, black pepper, dry chilli pods and 

 various other things. It is one of the major pests of the Store. Its 

 fife-history and stages are shown in the figures. Fresh generations 

 occur ordinarily after about a month. It is capable of breeduig in the 

 open air and on one occasion was observed to breed in dry pods o£ 

 Poinciana regia still hanging on the plant in August. 



