98 



THE COCO-NUT 



CHAP. 



large for its group, with light-grey, black-spotted wings, 

 occurs on coco-nut leaves in Ceylon. 



Locusts. — Prudhomme states that the most of the 

 coco-nut plantations of North- Western Madagascar have 

 suffered seriously from these insects, being completely 

 defoliated, and made unproductive for at least six 

 months after the flight. I have seen a young grove 

 in Mindanao thoroughly stripped, and so set back that 

 fruiting must have been delayed for two years. Any 

 country subject to visitations of this pest is likely to 

 have similar experience. 



However, the coco-nut is no favourite food of the 

 locusts, which will first consume such crops as rice, 

 maize, and cane. Getting rid of locusts is a big general 

 economic problem, likely to be solved in- any country 

 only by reforestation, and extending the land in cultiva- 

 tion, until wild grass and brush land, the locusts' 

 breeding -place, disappear. When the scourge is bad 

 enough to involve the coco-nuts, something may be 

 accomplished in a small way by means of fire, noise, and 

 agitation ; but the locusts are likely to have their meal. 



Busck notes the common occurrence of the egg-holes of 

 a large Cicada on the stalks of the lower leaves of Cuban 

 coco-nuts, but states that the damage is insignificant. 



Graeffea cocophaga. — Graeffea cocophaga, called 

 by Froggatt "the coco-nut phasma," one of the walking- 

 sticks, is known from New South Wales northward and 

 eastward across Polynesia. It feeds on coco -nuts 

 wherever they are found, and has temporarily done 

 considerable damage in Samoa and on the Hervey island. 

 In spite of its size, fully 20 centimetres in length, the 

 insect is inconspicuous because of its colour. As a rule, 

 it is kept closely in check by its natural enemies ; but 

 when these happen to be temporarily wanting, it is 

 capable of rapidly doing great damage. When they 

 become a pest in plantations, Froggatt suggests burning 

 the ground over or cultivating it as a means of 

 destroying the most of the eggs. 



Aspidiotus destructor. — Of the various scale insects 



