4 88 



The following are the only species that have been noticed as 

 doing damage, and in all cases the damage has been quite 

 insignificant, and shown little tendency to spread. 



1. Eumeces squamosus. — A weevil about J inch long and 

 covered with powdery scales of a greenish or yellowish tint, 

 which are readily rubbed off, when the insect becomes of a dull 

 black colour. The adults cause injury by defoliating the trees, 

 but the grubs are harmless. Described in the " Agricultural 

 Bulletin" for January and July, 1904. 



2. Anthribid sp. — A mottled grey and black beetle about ij 

 inch long, with antennae (in the male) more than twice the length 

 of the body, but shorter than half the body in the female ; head 

 of large size, elongated, and set at right angles to the body. 

 Very common in this country. A single specimen was caught 

 emerging from the trunk of a Para tree, and others have been 

 seen flying about plantations. The larvae of this family of beetles 

 are normally feeders on wood. 



3. Epcpeotcs luscus. — Size very variable from J to if inch ; 

 antennae more than twice the length of the body ; general colour 

 blackish, mottled with pale cream, a velvety black spot on each 

 shoulder, surrounded by a narrow cream line. A very common 

 species, the larvae, like those of the majority of the Longicorns, 

 feeding on wood. Found once on the trunk of a Para rubber tree. 



4. Clytanthus annularis. — (Longicorn). A narrow insect about 

 J to f inch long by T 3 g inch or less broad ; antennae filiform, not 

 so long as the body; general colour mustard yellow varied with 

 black. A common and wide-spread insect, found once ovipositing 

 on the stems of Para seedlings. Somewhat closely allied to the 

 coffee borer of Southern India. 



5. Aspidiotus sp. — A scale insect apparently belonging to this 

 genus has once been noted on Para, but nothing more has been 

 heard of it. 



6. Small beetles of the families Bostrychidce and Scolytidce 

 frequently attack the bark of Para rubber. Their efforts seem, 

 however, to be frustrated by the latex, which exuding from the 

 wounds coagulates round the head of the beetle and stops further 

 progress. 



7. The larv ae of a small moth, greyish-brown in colour with a 

 pinkish tinge, and about § of an inch in spread, has sometimes 

 been found feeding on Rambong and may possibly attack Para. 

 The species appears to be closely allied to, if not identical with, 

 Rhodoueura myrsusalis found in Brazil, Natal, India, Ceylon, 

 Burma and Borneo. The food plants in this country are species 

 of Palaquium (getah taban) in whose rolled-up leaves the larvae 

 pupate, and the trees are damaged considerably both in a wild 

 and cultivated state. The rigid leaves of Ficus elastica, however, 

 are not quite suited to the habits of the larvae, and the damage at 

 present effected is hardly noticeable. 



