168 



PESTS OF VKGETIbLE CROPS. 



crop still comes, in spite o£ the pests, no attention is paid to them. This 

 is unfortmiate, as these insects on bhindi are also the pests of cotton 

 which do much harm. 



Pests of Ginger. 



Two pests have been found attacking* ginger in Bengal, neither 

 seriously. The ginger maggot is a white fly maggot found tunnelling 

 in the rhizome of the growing plant ; these maggots resemble the usual 

 fly maggots, being small headless white insects, with mouth-parts in the 

 form of hooks. They tunnel in the tissues, killing them and setting up 

 decay. The pupa is found in the rhizome and the fly is found walking 

 on the leaves of the plant. The fly Ms a noticeable insect, with long legs, 

 a long narrow body and wings ; such flies are not uncommon but can be 

 seen in any number on ginger plants. The rhizome should be examined 

 for mag'g'ots and any diseased ones destroyed. 



The ginger caterpillar is a green caterpillar, with a dark head, of 

 the typical " skipper " form, which lives upon leaves, folding one over and 

 lying hidden inside the fold. The pupa is also found on the leaf and a 

 prettily marked butterfly ^ emerges. As a rule one caterpillar is found on 

 each plant, the butterfly laying her eggs one at a time. The pest is easily 

 cheeked by hand picking, the caterpillars and pupae being found in the 

 large folded leaves. 



Potato Pests. 



The only specific pest of potato recorded is the very common green 



bug,^ a cosmopolitan insect which sucks 

 the juice of the plants and is found 

 commonly on them. It is a common 

 insect in the hills and is readily checked 

 by hand-picking. 



A boring" caterpillar has been reared 

 from potato plants in Dharwar which 

 is the Brinjal Fruit-borer (page 166). 

 A somewhat serious pest in Bengal is a 

 mealy bug which attacks the stored 

 seed potatoes, and apparently causes 

 them to rot. Seed potatoes infested 

 with this bug cannot be preserved until 

 ^, ^^ ^gQ the next season. The treatment is 



The Green Bug. {Magnified.) very simple and lies in storing the 



^ 2Y\. Calohata s\>. (Muscidac acalyptratse.) | 2 215, Udaspes folus. Cram. (Hesperiidse.) 

 * Nezara viridula. L. (Pentatomidse.) 



