PLAGUE OF BEETLES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 280, 26 November 1931, Page 11

PLAGUE OF BEETLES

UNWELCOME VISITATION. SERIOUS DAMAGE ON FARMS. PASTURES AND TREES SUFFER. DISTRICTS NEAR TE AROHA. TE AROHA, Nov. 23. Swarms of small brown beetles are causing serious damage in tho Manawaru, Shaftesbury and Gordon districts. Although in the past few years the pests have been well-known in the districts for their depredations on pastures and foliage they have never before constituted such a menace as at present. The beetles have been identified by Mr. C. E. Christensen, tourist officer resident in Te Aroha, as a species of the grass grub, Odontra Novae Zealandiae. At nightfall they come up from the ground in myriads and devour every bit of green foliage within reach. Willow trees, fruit trees, and even macrocarpa hedges, have been stripped. Vegetables have been eaten to the very roots. When swarms of the beetles arc in flight, tho noise of their bodies striking against a corrugated iron roof is like a heavy shower of rain. Fruit trees which have been attacked bear resemblance to gnarled trunks •covered with dry white moss. The leaves have been eaten away and only the white midribs remain like spines. Tho willows seem to have a special attraction for the pests. A peculiarity about the beetle is that it feeds only at night. Willows Lave been noticed with branches bent to the ground with the burden of thousands of beetles. One farmer has swept up the pests by the bucket-full and burned them in piles. Others have taken protective measures in lighting smoke tires underneath the trees. The smoko seems to bring on a state of stupor. It is the commonly-known grass grub in its final adult age which has shown a steady increase in the district for a number of years. The grub eats into the roots of the grass so that the top

simply dies off and leaves the ground quite bare. One farmer estimated that tho grub . destroyed half of his pastures and he is of the opinion that he will lose £3OO I on his butter-fat output this year. ! 'rhe grub remains in its larva stage I from March until October, when it ; feasts on the grass roots. Although | the beetle stage lasts only about one i month, it is sufficient to enable vast quantities of eggs to bo deposited in I the soil, and the farmes are fearing even a worse visitation next year.