THE HAWAIIAN SUGAR-CANE BORER, 37 
Until the recent injury by the leafhopper (Perkinsiella saccharicida) 
the sugar-cane borer was the principal insect affecting cane in the 
islands. 
The species was determined by the Bureau of Entomology at 
Washington, D. C., in 1888 from specimens forwarded by the late 
King Kalakaua and was discussed under the title “‘The Sandwich- 
Island Sugar-cane Borer,” in Insect Life, vol. 1, No. 6, pages 185-189, 
December, 1888. 
In 1896 Mr. Koebele gave the following record on the work of 
the borer in Hawaii: % 
This may be classed as the most injurious enemy of the sugar cane present on these 
islands. Its ravages will exceed those of all other insects combined. Its attacks on 
the sugar cane, however, seem confined to the more damp localities, whilst in drier 
places, such as Lahaina, the borer is hardly noticed. I have been informed that the 
Lihue Plantation has recently suffered severely from the attacks of the borer. Not 
only sugar cane is damaged by this insect, but many other plants are damaged by it, 
chiefly the bananas and cocoanuts. A grove of the latter was shown me in Hilo, in 
1894, that was badly infested by the beetles. Setting fire to the dry leaves was rec- 
ommended; this was done and the plants have since entirely recovered. Dying 
cocoanut palms were examined and in the tender heart of the palm were found great 
numbers of the insects, in all stages. 
More recently (1907) Mr. F. W. Terry has discussed the sugar-cane 
borer in the Hawaiian Islands in a circular of the Hawaiian Sugar 
Planters’ Experiment Station. ? 
LIFE HISTORY AND HABITS. 
The eggs are found beneath the epidermis of the cane stalk, or 
more rarely in the tissue of the leaf sheath, having been placed singly 
in small cavities. The cavity is made by the female with her proboscis 
before depositing the egg. 
The young grub or larva, on hatching from the egg, bores on into 
the stalk of the cane, completely honeycombing the interior with 
tunnels running lengthwise with the stalk (see fig. 5). The evidence 
of its work is not indicated by the outward appearance of the stalk. 
Many times ‘a stalk, seemingly in a normal condition, is found on 
examination to be utterly destroyed. The life of the borer within 
the stalk of the cane is estimated to be about seven weeks by Mr. 
Koebele,“ who points out the fact that the length of the larval life 
@ KoEBELE, ALBERT.—Report on insect pests. <(Hawaiian Planters’ Monthly, vol. 
15, no. 12, p. 590, December, 1896. 
6 Terry, F. W.—Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Exp. Sta., Div. Ent., Cir. 3, pp. 22, 
plates 2, fig. 1, December, 1907. 
¢ KoEBELE, ALBERT.—Hawailian Planters’ Monthly, vol. 19, no. 11, p. 520, 
November, 1900. 
