294 p. A. BUXTON. ' 7^- 



in the male is short, but in well-developed specimens longer than in the female. 

 The thoracic cavity is similar in both sexes, except for the sharper posterior tooth 

 in the female just mentioned. The pygidium is recurved in both sexes and has 

 a fringe of red hairs on its free edge only ; in the male it is convex and 

 very smooth and shining ; in the female it is more strongly inflexed and rather 

 strongly and closely punctured. The last ventral segment in the male is also very 

 smooth and its front and hind margins are straight and parallel; in the female 

 it is strongly punctured, and forms a rounded lobe." 



Oryctes desertorum, Arr. 



Oryctes desertorum, G. J. Arrow, Fauna Brit. India, Coleoptera Lamellicornia 

 (Cetoniinae and Dynastinae) 1910, p. 276, 



The distribution of 0. desertorum is given by Arrow as " India, Karachi ; Persia ; 

 Arabia, Masqat (Muskat), Lahej and Fao." He teUs me that the Persian specimen 

 came from South Persia, so that aU the records are from countries in which the 

 date-palm is grown. It appears probable that 0. desertorum will eventually prove 

 to be a date-palm pest ; at present however we know nothing of its habits or life- 

 history. 



Oryctes rhinoceros, L. 



Burkill gives Phoenix dactylifera in a list of palms attacked by " the Rhinoceros 

 Beetle." Stebbing records 0. rhinoceros from date palms at Madras. On the 

 other hand Copeland in his very careful account of the pests of the coconut does 

 not mention the date palm in the list of trees which 0. rhinoceros is known to attack, 

 nor does Ghosh. 0. rhinoceros is found from India eastwards, so that its range 

 and that of the date palm only coincide in parts of India. It may well be that 

 in that country it attacks this palm, as Stebbing has stated, but I do not feel that 

 the matter is proved in view of the fact that the species of Oryctes have until recently 

 been much confused. The life-history of 0. rhinoceros is well-known, as it is a very 

 serious pest of coconut. Ghosh's and Burkill's papers and Copeland's book should 

 be consulted for details about this member of the genus and the measures which 

 have been adopted to destroy it. 



Family NiTIDULIDAE. 



Oarpophalus dimidiatus, F. 



Popenoe speaks of this species (as " Carpophyllus dimidiatus ") eating stored dates. 

 The ordinary " Dried Fruit Beetle " is Carpophilus hemipterus, L. The parts of 

 Popenoe' s book which deal with pests of the date tree are not as valuable as the 

 rest of the book. 



Family ANOBitDAE. 

 Coccotrypes ? dactyliperda, F. 



Willcocks records small beetles, which he believes to be this species, from Amry 

 and Aglawy dates from the Sharkia province of Egypt. As many as 11 "8 per cent, 

 of the latter variety have been found infected. The beetles live in a cavity hollowed 

 out of the date stone, in which as many as forty eggs, larvae, pupae and imagines 

 may be found. A small circular hole communicates between the cavity and the 

 exterior. 



