TIL PESTS, 



161 



the head drawn in, giving the insect a very striking appearance. The 

 laro'C anal horn adds to the curious effect, which accounts for the belief that 

 the caterpillar is venomous. Actually it is absolutely harmless and safe to 

 handle. When full fed the colour changes to a deep brown, and the cater- 

 pillar then leaves the plant to find a suitable place in which to enter the soil. 



This change of colour is protective, the green colour hiding it when 

 on the green plant, the brown colour when it is on the ground searching 

 for a suitable spot. It buries itself in the soil, appearing as a pupa after 

 a period of rest. This is a large chestnut brown insect, smooth and 

 shiny; the figure shows the empty pupa case from which the moth 

 above emerged. The pupal period lasts for two, three or more months. 

 The moth is one of the larger hawk moths,^ closely related to the * death''s 

 head ' moth of Europe. The head and thorax are dark, the latter with 

 the * deatVs head ' mark, the abdomen is yellow with black bands and a 

 dark stripe down the middle, the fore-wing is mottled in brown and 

 grey, the hind-wing yellow with black bands. 



The larger specimens measure nearly four inches across the expanded 

 wings ; the moths are very swift in flight, emerging at dusk to fly 

 about and seek the flowers from which they obtain nectar. 



This species has also been found on val [BolicJios lah-lah) and has 

 alternative food plants. It is found throughout the plains of India,, not as 

 an injurious pest but as a common insect ; it has a wide distribution outside 

 India. The best treatment is to pick the caterpillars by hand ; they are large 

 and conspicuous, can be easily collected and are most simply killed in water. 



Minor Pests of Til. 



A small white caterpillar, black speckled and with a touch of creamy 

 is found feeding 



green, 



on the leaves or the pods 

 of til. It is not common, 

 though widely spread in 

 India and has not been 

 reported or found as a 

 serious pest. It is the 

 larva of a small red moth ^ 

 less than one inch across 

 the expanded wings, 

 which extends over 

 Europe and Asia. Another 





Fio. 183. 

 Hairy Caterpillar of Bihar. {SligMly magnified.) 



1 193. Acheroniia styx. Westd. (Sphingidte.) 



2 Jll. Antifastra catalawalis. Dup. (Pyralidae.) 



