378 SOME SOUTH INDIAN INSECTS. ETC. 



Status.- A serious pesl of tobacco, castor and agathi. Well 



known in Tamil districts as Arakkan. 



Control, -(i) Hand-picking of egg-masses and batches of young 

 larva.- before these have dispersed. 



(2) Surrounding of valuable crops by narrow steep-sided 

 ditches to keep out and trap the caterpillars. 



SPODOPTERA MAURITIA, Boisd. (PLATE XX.) 



Hadena mauritia, Boisd., Faun. Mad. Maur., p. 92. t. 13. f. 9 (1833). 



Spodoptera mauritia, Hmpsn., Faun. Ind. Moths, II. 249. f. 140. 

 Cat. Phal., VIII, 256—258. f. 66; Lefrov, Ind. Ins. Pests, pp. 122, 189, 

 Ent. Mem. Dept. Agri., Ind., I. 172, Ind. Ins. Life, p. 448. 



Distribution. — Throughout Southern India. 



Lifehistory. — The eggs are deposited, usually on the under 

 surfai e of blades of grass or paddy, in batches covered by the 

 buff-coloured hairs derived from the bodv of the female moth. The 

 full-grown caterpillar is 35- 40 mm. long, cylindrical, paler or 

 darker green above, greenish-yellow beneath with a reddish stripe 

 along the sides at the junction of the two hues; along the side 

 there is also sometimes a broad pale stripe edged above by black 

 lunules on each segment: when touched, the caterpillar curls up 

 until the head and tail are nearly touching in a characteristic 

 manner. The caterpillar feeds at night, hiding by clay under clods. 

 etc. When full fed it pupates in the soil, turning into a brownish 

 pupa, from which the moth emerges after about 10 days. 



Foodplants.— Grasses of various sorts. 



Status.— A pest of paddy and grasslands, sometimes doing 

 considerable damage to seedling rice-plants. 



Control.— (l) Protection of seed-beds by surrounding them with 

 narrow steep-sided trenches. 



(2) In small areas spraying and collection of egg-masses as 

 far as possible. 



(3) Trapping of larvae by laying down sods, planks, etc., might 



be tried. 



(4) Flooding of seed-beds and turning in ducks to eal the 

 caterpillars. This method is practised successfully in sonic- 

 districts. 



LAPHYGMA EXIGUA, Hb. 



Noctua exigua, Hubner, Ent. Schmett. Noct., f. 362 (1808). 



Caradrina exigua, Hmpsn.. Faun. tad. Moths, II. 259-260; Lefroy, 

 |„d. [ns. Pests, p. [87, ff. 214. 215. Ent. Mem. Dept. Agri.. Ind.. I. 173. 

 fig., Ind., Ins. Life, p. 448. 



Laphygma exigua, Hmpsn., Cat. Phal., VIII. 265, f. 68. 



