66 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE 



The work of breeding Agrotis ypsilon, referred to in 

 last year's report, was continued in order to find out how it 

 passes through the Hot Weather and Rains (April -Sep- 

 tember). In the Insectary it continued to breed through- 

 out this period. The moths, however, which emerged in 

 July-August did not lay fertile eggs although they had full 

 chances of mating; possibly this was due to inbreeding 

 under unfavourable conditions; at any rate, fertile eggs 

 were not obtained. But, as it was, the insect bred in capti- 

 vity until about the time (August) when the moths normally 

 appear in the tal lands which are subject to attack at 

 Mokameh. During 1916 an Andres-Maire trap was 

 worked in the Insectary compound at Pusa throughout the 

 hot weather (April-June) to see whether any moths of 

 Agrotis ypsilon could be attracted but not a single example 

 was captured. What actually happens under normal con- 

 ditions remains, therefore, still a mystery. The insect can 

 continue to breed under favourable conditions but we have 

 no evidence that it actually does so : our Insectary experi- 

 ence has yielded no indication of any inclination to pass 

 through the hot weather in any resting stage; on the con- 

 trary, breeding was continuous until August. On the other 

 hand no trace of the insect has been found under natural 

 conditions between April and August. The migration 

 theory fits the known facts but as yet remains an unproved 

 hypothesis. 



Colonies of Odontotermes assmuthi, established m arti- 

 ficial breeding cages (tiles) in the Insectary, died out after 

 about four months, by which time adult workers and 

 soldiers had been obtained. One colony, however, which 

 had been planted out in a cage in the ground in the Insec- 

 tary compound, could be traced for a whole year, after 

 which it dwindled away; even after this period, however, 

 the queen showed no particular sign of a dilated abdomen. 



The habits of Metriona circumdata, Aspidomorpha 

 indica and Philemostoma trilineata were observed through- 

 out the year. The beetles hibernate and live for about six 

 months. 



