﻿152 
  

  

  WALTER 
  W. 
  FROGGATT 
  — 
  AUSTRALASIAN 
  HISPID 
  AE, 
  ETC. 
  

  

  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  leaf, 
  which, 
  as 
  it 
  expands, 
  shows 
  large 
  blackened 
  areas 
  through 
  the 
  

   damage 
  thus 
  caused 
  ; 
  and 
  where 
  the 
  leaves 
  are 
  badly 
  infested 
  they 
  keep 
  dying 
  back 
  

   one 
  after 
  another, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  palm 
  is 
  seriously 
  retarded. 
  

  

  Originally 
  described 
  from 
  specimens 
  sent 
  to 
  Dr. 
  Sharp 
  by 
  me 
  and 
  obtained 
  in 
  

   plantations 
  in 
  New 
  Britain, 
  this 
  beetle 
  was 
  found 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  later 
  swarming 
  in 
  

   the 
  coconut 
  plantations 
  in 
  the 
  Solomon 
  Islands 
  It 
  has, 
  however, 
  a 
  still 
  wider 
  range, 
  

   for 
  last 
  year 
  (1913) 
  I 
  discovered 
  it 
  in 
  many 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  Hebrides, 
  where 
  it 
  was 
  

   usually 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  fronds 
  of 
  any 
  small, 
  sickly 
  or 
  damaged 
  tree, 
  but 
  was 
  not 
  

   a 
  pest 
  on 
  healthy 
  cultivated 
  palms, 
  as 
  it 
  was 
  in 
  New 
  Britain 
  and 
  the 
  Solomon 
  Islands. 
  

  

  The 
  beetle 
  is 
  slender, 
  almost 
  cylindrical 
  inthe 
  body, 
  and 
  tapering 
  at 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  

   abdomen; 
  from 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  antennae 
  it 
  measures 
  up 
  to 
  half 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  length. 
  

   General 
  colour^ 
  shining 
  black, 
  with 
  the 
  thorax 
  and 
  fore 
  pair 
  of 
  legs 
  dull 
  yellow, 
  the 
  

   second 
  pair 
  marked 
  with 
  yellow. 
  The 
  small 
  head 
  is 
  produced 
  in 
  front 
  into 
  a 
  lance- 
  

   shaped 
  projection 
  between 
  the 
  antennae 
  ; 
  the 
  thorax 
  almost 
  square, 
  slightly 
  hollowed 
  

   out 
  on 
  the 
  sides, 
  and 
  curved 
  found 
  in 
  front 
  behind 
  the 
  eyes. 
  The 
  sierider 
  body 
  is 
  

   Covered 
  with 
  stout 
  blac& 
  wing-covers, 
  deeply 
  ribbed 
  with 
  finely 
  punctured 
  striae, 
  

   depressed 
  and 
  rounded 
  at 
  the 
  extremities. 
  J 
  " 
  : 
  

  

  At 
  first 
  the 
  chief 
  method 
  adopted 
  in 
  dealing 
  'with 
  these 
  beetles 
  and 
  their 
  larvae 
  

   Was 
  to 
  apply 
  a 
  tobacco 
  and 
  soap 
  wash. 
  This 
  was 
  effective 
  when 
  shaken 
  or 
  sprayed 
  

   into 
  the 
  infested 
  fronds, 
  but 
  the 
  difficulty 
  was 
  to 
  see 
  that 
  the 
  native 
  boys 
  did 
  the 
  

   work 
  properly. 
  Afterwards 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  time, 
  when 
  " 
  beetling 
  " 
  is 
  carried 
  

   out, 
  the 
  tips 
  of 
  the 
  infested 
  fronds 
  are 
  cut 
  off 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  noticed 
  and 
  burnt 
  with 
  the 
  

   eggs 
  and 
  larvae 
  before 
  they 
  have 
  spread 
  downwards 
  to 
  damage 
  the 
  Whole 
  of 
  the 
  

   young 
  leaf. 
  

  

  

  Q 
  'Hi 
  M&u 
  Vfi 
  

  

  