72 



rWvOCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



Sesamia infer ens, Wlk. 



S. I. I., pp. 379-380, t. 21 ; Entl. Note, 62 ; Proc. Second Entl- 

 Meeting, pp. 145, 152, 174, 182, 187, 191, 196, 200, 204. 



Widely distributed in the Plains of India and an important pest of 

 cultivated Graminese, the larva boring in the stem and, in the case of 

 paddy, sometimes deep into the roots. We have specimens reared in the 

 following Iccalities from the fcodplants specified :^- 



Coimbatore 



Hagari (Bellary) 

 Navsari (Bombay) 

 Bassein (Bombay) 

 Surat . . ,. 



Seoai (Central Provinces) 

 Nagpur 

 Bankipur . 

 Pusa 



Bag! (Elevsine coracana), sorghum- stem 

 tenai {Setaria italica). 



Paddy stem. 



Maize. 



Sugarcane. 



Maize, juar, wheat. 



Wheat. 



Wheat, j«ar, maize, caue. 



Rice stem. 



Rice stem, rice stubble, maize, sugarcane, 

 Guinea grass stem. 



Sesamia uniformis, Ddgn. 



Dudgeon, B. J. XVI, 402 [Nonagria] ; Hinpsn., Cat. IX, 332, 

 t. 144, f. 25; I. I. L., t. 37, f. 7; Ent. Note" 62 ; Proc. 

 Second Entl. Meeting, pp. 145, 191. 



Apparently not very common' in India. We have examples reared 

 at Lyallpur from sugarcane and maize, and at Pusa from maize and 

 young sugarcane. Attacked canes show only one hole, plugged with 

 frass. 



Lefroy apparently interchanged this species and the more common 

 S. inferens {Indian Insect Life, p. 448). The differences are indicated, 

 in the case of the moths, in my " First Hundred Notes," and the pupoe 

 a:e easily distinguishable by the spines on anal abdominal segments. 



Have any parasites been found on the eggs ? In Java and Mauritius 

 Sesamia yionagrioides is attacked by a Proctotrypid parasite that keeps 

 it in check. [There would seem to be some error in this last observa- 

 tion. Hampson {Cat. Lep. Phal. IX 324-325) records S. vuteria {nomi,- 

 grioide'^) from Europe and Africa, including Madagascar and Bourbon, 

 so that this species presumably occurs in Mauritius, but not in Java. 

 Editor.] 



Mr. Kunhl KaEana. Do these Sesamia larvae attack the plant in all stages of growth ? 



Mr. Gkosh. Yes. 



Mr. KuQlii Kaanan. What is the percentage of plants attacked ? 



Mr. GiiosJi. I Less than one per cent. At Pusa Sesamia. inferens occurs more 



commonly in rice than in any other crop. 



Mr. Senior-White. 



