134 SOME SOUTH INDIAN INSECTS, ETC. [CHAP. XIII. 



the shoots oi young cotton fore any bolls are put forth and 



the collection and destruction of all such attacked shoots at this 



■ I oi the year is a very important m< asure <>i control tor these 



moths in order to prevent their increase later on and consequent 

 destruction of the bolls; the removal of these affected shoots not 

 only controls the Boll-worms but often induces extra production of 

 new shoots and (lowers on the pari of the plant, so that the subse- 

 quent crop is not onlj saved from attack hut is actually larger than 

 it would otherwise have been. Under the general heading oi 

 " Fruit-borers" may he included all caterpillars which feed on the 

 fruit or seeds of plants. ()l this class tin- Lycaenid butterflies pro- 

 \ Lde se\ era) examples, the caterpillar ol I 'irachola isocrates feeding 

 in Pomegranates and those ol Catochrysops cnejus and Polyommatus 

 bceticus boring into the pods of leguminous crops and devouring 

 tin seeds. The last-named butterfly may in this manner he a verj 

 serious pest in localities where Crotalaria is being grown for seed. 

 as much as thirty per cent, of the crop being destroyed sometimes. 

 ( itching the female butterflies by means of hand- nets is practicable 

 in the early stages of an outbreak, but little can be done if the attack 

 is really serious. The caterpillar of Chloridea obsoleta (Heliothii 

 armigera) is a well-known and destructive pest of Gram, the larva 

 eating a hole through the pod into which it thrusts its head to 

 devour the seeds ; in this case spraying with a Stomach Poison is 

 practicable because the caterpillar does not remain on one pod hut 

 cats its way into several. 



Cotton seed in Southern India is extensivelj attacked by the pink 

 ■ aterpillar of Gelechia gossypiella ; this pest seems to be encouraged 

 by the leaving of old bolls on the cotton-hushes and prompt and 

 regular removal of all ripe bolls will probably keep it in check. 

 Pyroderces coriacella, a minute red-brown moth which has also been 

 reared from cotton-bolls, may feed mi the seeds also but is appa- 

 rent!) an unimportant pest and perhaps onlj a scavenger. 



Several fruits are attacked b) various caterpillars. Litchis 

 commonly contain larvae oi Argyroploce illepida, which bore in the 

 stone, and peaches arc sometimes bored by the caterpillai of 

 Dichocrocis punctiferalis, which is a very general feeder in fruits. 



Stems and I I Ol many plants. The destructive Codling Moth, 



i irpocapsa) pomonella, which has been re< orded I nun Kashmir, 

 is not known to occur in Southern India, although it may very 

 possiblj he found in the Nilgiris. 



rhe number oi leaf-eating caterpillars is so vast that only a very 

 general ai count can be attempted here. Many Iced exposed on the 

 leaves whilst Others Iced within the rolled or folded leaves. Owing 

 to their feeding habits they can be controlled fairly readily by 



