62 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE 



A large amount of Lecaniinse material was collected 

 with a view to finding any parasites which might be of use 

 in the control of Coccus viridis (Lecanium viride) in the 

 coffee districts of Southern India, but it was found that 

 the majority of the local Lecaniince were free from Chalcid 

 parasites; only those scales found on Ficus religiosa and 

 Ricinus communis were parasitized to any extent. 



5". Parasites of Aleurodids. As noted in last year's 

 report, attempts have been made to procure a parasitized 

 colony of A leurodes citri for export to Florida. The para- 

 site which attacks A . citri on Jasminum is the same as the 

 one which attacks A. ricini on castor, and castor plants 

 were therefore grown and infected but unfortunately 

 became heavily infested with Tetranychus bimaculatus and 

 later on by a leaf-fungus and the plants therefore had to be 

 rejected. A very similar parasite attacks another 

 A leurodes on Ficus and trials with this are also being made. 



6. Economic Aleurodidce. Life-histories of Aleu- 

 rodes citri, A . bergi, and A . ricini were completed. 



7. Pyrilla aberrans. The complete life-history of 

 Pyrilla aberrans was worked out during the year and 

 repeated thrice to check the period of a life-cycle. Chalcid, 

 Dryinid and Stylopid parasites were also reared, some of 

 these being new. It may be noted that three species of 

 Pyrilla (P. aberrans, P. perpusilla and P. pusana) are 

 found on sugarcane at Pusa, all formerly confused under 

 the first name. 



8. Nephotettix bipunctatus. Much time was given to 

 the outbreak of Nephotettix bipunctatus, the rice leaf- 

 hopper (locally called " Maho ") in the Central Provinces. 

 This insect was first reported as a pest from the Sakti 

 State in the Bilaspur District of the Central Provinces. 

 A Fieldman was sent to make investigations on the pest and 

 to try measures suggested from Pusa. These measures con- 

 sisted of (1) bagging with large field bag-nets, (2) bagging 

 with hand-nets, (3) brushing over the infested fields with a 

 rope dragged over the plants, (4) oiling the infested fields 

 with kerosine and then dragging a rope across so as to 



