INSTITUTE, PUSA, FOE 1917-18 93 



wild Saccharum and other grasses occurring in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Pusa. Besides Diatrcea venosata, D. auricilia, 

 Sesamia inferens and S. uniformis, which are also found 

 in sugarcane, nine other borers not yet known to occur in 

 cane have been found in these wild grasses. Of these one 

 is a Curculionid grub, another a Lamiad grub, and the 

 remainder are lepidopterous larvae, these including Scirpo- 

 phaga sp., and Papua sp., a Zeuzerid and a Noctuid. This 

 last has since been found to occur in sugarcane at Munni, 

 Muzaffarpur District, and all of these insects may be looked 

 on as potential pests of cane. Almost all of the root- 

 feeders mentioned under cane have also been found to occur 

 amongst the roots of these wild grasses. 



Besides borers, the insects, mostly coleopterous larvae, 

 found underground amongst the roots of sugarcane, were 

 under observation during the year, the following being 

 noticed : — 



(1) Anomala bengalensis. 



(2) Anomala biharensis (Plate X). 



(3) Adoretus caliginosus (Plate XI). 



(4) Autoserica sp. (Plate XII, fig. 1). 



(5) Myllocerus discolor. 



(6) Myllocerus blandus. 



(7) Monolepta signata (Plate XII, fig. 2). 



(8) Formicomus sp. 



(9) Pachnephorus sp. 



(10) Alissonotum piceum. 



(11) Alissonotum simile. 



(12) Apogonia sp. 



(13) An unidentified Chrysomelid. 



Besides the above, one Chrysomelid grub and two kinds of 

 weevil grubs were found but could not be reared out. 



Of these insects, the grubs of Anomala bengalensis were 

 observed both at Pusa and Dacca to gnaw into the basal 

 parts of new shoots from the side, thus causing a " dead- 

 heart;" in this way they were causing a small amount of 

 damage. In the case of the other insects, no appreciable 



