388 
half as large as the Microgaster, make their appearance. Very few 
holes for egress are made, and often all issue from asingle one. <A few 
hundred may be bred from the chrysalis of the cane-borer moth, and as 
the life history, as far as is known, is of brief duration, this parasite is 
nearly if not wholly as valuable as the first in keeping the borers down. 
As may be inferred from analogy, this Chalcidid will not only be found 
preying upon this particular chrysalis, but on a great variety of Lepi- 
dopterous chrysalids, as is the case with related American forms. 
In addition to those parasites numerous small ants of two species, were 
observed to form colonies in and around the burrows, and wherever 
these were present it was but very rarely that either larve or chrysalids 
could be found, and often dead larve or chrysalids and remains of such 
were found that were destroyed by them. 
Numerous Carabid beetles were also present on the ground at the 
base of the plants and no doubt assist materially in reducing this pest. 
SCARABEID LARV. 
Varies species of Scarabeid beetles are always present in cane fields 
and especially so in recently cleared ground. Of these a species of 
Anaplognathus, commonly called ‘* Christmas Beetle,” was most numer- 
ous and is often plowed up both in the larva and imago state. Two 
other species of large Scarabzid larve were found behind the plow, as 
well as a species of Heteronyx, together with larve and bares no doubt 
of the same species. 
The larve of the beetles are injurious by eating the roots of various 
plants, and as their transformation is very slow they remain a long time 
in the ground, and in the absence of any other roots they naturally 
attack those of the sugar cane. If numerous they will become a serious 
pest, as insects of this sort often devastate whole fields. 
As a remedy it is suggested in the first place that diligent search be 
instituted for the larve and beetles while plowing and harrowing. This 
could be done by children. The mature insects, which come out chiefly 
at night, may also be found in the daytime feeding on the leaves of 
Eucalyptus trees, which are often defoliated by them. By shaking the 
trees in the early morning the beetles will drop to the ground and re- 
main motionless for some time, when they can be gathered and destroyed. 
They are also readily attracted by lights and may be collected with 
traps consisting of a bright light placed over a tin or other vessel about 
a foot deep by two feet wide with perpendicular sides and with about 
two inches of water in the bottom. Many such simple traps could be 
placed over the fields in December and January, when the beetles are 
on the wing. Dark nights are best for attracting insects. Without 
doubt the presence of toads, if these were introduced, would have a 
remarkable effect in diminishing the numbers of these as well as many 
other injurious insects. 
