TROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 237 



Phtyjjria echidna, Guer. 



Proc. Second Entl. Meeting, p. 77. 



We have this from Matheran, Belgaum, the Nilgiris, and PoUibetta 

 (South Coorg). It hves on Erythnna litJiosferma and is a minor pest of 

 this, the leaves sometimes being damaged to a considerable extent. 



Platifprai hystrix, Fb. ' , 



South Ind. Ins., p. 316, f. 167 ; Proc. Second Entl. Meeting, 

 pp. 56, 74, 77. 



We have this from Cahcut and Tanjore. It occi' throughout 

 Southern India as a local and minor pest of lablab, rujathi J:.rythrina. 



Hi spa armigera. 



South Ind. Ins., pp. 315-316, t. 10 ; Proc. Second Entl. Meeting, p. 167. 



Hispa armigera {ainescens) occurs in practically all rice-growing 

 areas in Southern and Eastern India as a serious pest of rice, usually 

 on young rice plants. North Bihar seems about its northern hmit, 

 and at Pusa it is sometimes a pest of nurseries. Our records include the 

 following data : — Champaran, on rice ; Pusa, usually in small numbers, 

 occasionally destructive to seedling rice-plants ; Kidderpur ; Midnapur ; 

 NoakhaU, on rice, 11th September 1913 ; Harra (Bankura), breeding 

 in aus paddy leaves, July 1917 ; Bakerganj (Bengal), on paddy in numbers, 

 September 1905 ; Sylhet, on paddy, 10th June 1912 ; Cuttack, occasionally 

 serious ; Ellore ; Salem, on paddy ; South Kanara, on paddy ; Lonavla 

 (Bombay), on rice. 



The life-history ie known and the main difficulty in control is the 

 sporadic manner in which this pest usually appears in destructive numbers. 

 Collection of the beetles in hand-nets has been found useful in Madras, 

 and perhaps oiUng of the water and dipping the plants by dragging a 

 rope over them might be useful in the case of seed-beds. 



Can anyone give us an account of practical experience in control 

 measures ? 



Cutting off the tips of the plants is effective. W^hen the pest appears Mr. Ramrao. 

 in large numbers, cutting the tips off the plants reduces the pest con- 

 siderably, but this must be done before the flowering shoot comes up. 



In Madras it is the custom to bundle the seedUngs together and to Mr. Ramakrishna 

 cut off the tops whether the beetles are present or not. We tried this Ayyar. 

 and found it successful. 



In Travancore we tried hand-netting. If this is done twice or thrice Mr. Pillay. 

 after the rains it is successful. Rain is essential for hand-netting, because 



