68 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



An unidentified Dermestid beetle on Stored Wheat. 



Harf actor costalis. 



Canthecona furcellata. 



Syntomis cyssea. 



Taragama siva. 



Polyocha saccharella. 



Dolycoris indicus. 



A Psocid on Loranthus. 



Figures of the various stages of most of these insects 

 have been drawn and will be utilized for Memoirs on the 

 insects concerned. 



The subject of natural enemies (parasites and predators) 

 of crop-pests is of great importance in India and a start is 

 being made to collect information on the subject. Special 

 attention has been paid to the parasites and hyperparasites 

 of cotton bollworms (Earias spp.), of Achcea melicerta and 

 of Pieris brassicce. Parcels of Earias larvae parasitized by 

 Rhogas lefroyi were sent to the North- West Frontier 

 Province and the Punjab to endeavour to assist control of 

 this pest. There is no doubt that in the near future such 

 control-methods will be found to be applicable in many 

 cases, especially in the case of introduced pests, and we are 

 already receiving numerous inquiries from abroad (notably 

 America and Italy) regarding parasites of destructive crop- 

 pests, and an attempt is being made to procure a parasitized 

 colony of Aleurodes citri for export to Florida where this 

 insect has done vast damage to the orange industry. In 

 this connection it is of interest to note that an apparently 

 identical parasite has also been reared from Aleurodes 

 ricini, which occurs commonly on Castor in India, and 

 specimens of the two parasites have been sent to Washing- 

 ton for exact determination, as their identity, if established, 

 will be of practical importance. 



Attempts have been made to trace Agrotis ypsilon 

 through the hot weather and rains, as it is not known in 

 what stage the insect passes this period on the Mokameh 

 Tal, if it is actually present then at all. Incidentally, in 



