Paut III.] 
Beeson : Beehole Borer of Teak. 
33 
PART III. 
Life-History and Habits of the Insect. 
As the writer has been able to study the insect in the field only during 
the months of April, May and June the following account of the life- 
history is mainly inferred. A summary of the life-cycle will be iound on 
pages 43—46. 
Oviposition. 
Eggs have not been found by the writer in the field,* although several 
hundreds of felled and standing teak trees have been carefully examined 
from crown to stump during the imaginal period. Numerous specimens 
of eggs of other lepidopterous families, of Rhynchota, Neuroptera and 
Orthoptera were recovered from teak bark. 
Egglaying by captive females in April, 1914, commenced on the 
second day after emergence from the pupa and continued steadily until, 
death occurred; from 300 to 600 eggs were deposited by each female; 
in the course of 4—6 days, usually in long moniliform rows on the sides 
and floor of the cages, but where crevices or holes were available eggs 
were deposited in hundreds as far as the ovipositor could reach. Yillar 
[1916, p. 513] records similar habits in the case of females bred and caged 
by him in April, 1916, and notes the commencement of egglaying 3 
days after emergence. Beekman [1919, p. 10] also states that sterile 
eggs are laid in rows and groups shortly after emergence. 
Location of Eggs .—By analogy with the habits of other Cossidae it 
may be assumed that eggs are laid by the female in cracks, and under 
scales of bark on the tree-trunk.| Mr. R. Unwin, in his report on the 
Pyinmana Observation Area (July 1916) expresses the opinion that “ eggs 
are probably laid in crevices as none were found on undergrowth 
although careful search was made in every way.” Mr. A. R. Villar 
records in his report on the Shwegu Observation Area (July 1916) that 
“ a very careful search was made for eggs. all undergrowth and 
teak shoots and the accessible portions of teak trees being examined, a 
hand reading-glass being used, but entirely without success.” Beek¬ 
man [1919, p. 10] is of the opinion that “ probably eggs are laid separa¬ 
tely with the blunt ovipositor in bark-crevices of living trees.” The 
* The eggs taken on teak bark and described in the Forest Zoologist's report for 1914 
as ceramicus eggs, on the evidence of a pink and white striped embryo, have, after micros¬ 
copic examination of the setal arrangement, proved to belong to another family. 
f Beekman [1919, p. 10] states on the authority of an unpublished note supplied 
by the writer that an egg-cluster was found on a terminal shoot of a teak seedling, 3 
feet above ground. It is now extremely doubtful that these were ceramicus eggs. 
r 26i ] 
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