91(1 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



Mrs. Hutchinson. 



Mr. Ramakrisbna 



Ayyar. 



Mr. Fletcher. 



The first time I saw this was at Hillgrove (2,000 feet) on the Nilgiris 

 where this wasp was very actively collecting flies of sorts attacking the 

 body of a cow. The flies happened to be species of Stojuoxys, Lijperosia, ' 

 and Philcematomyia — all biting flies. 



I again noted this phenomenon at Tanjore in the Plains where the 

 flies were collected from ca^- bullocks. I was not able in this case to 

 identify the flies. I am sorry I was not able to follow the wasps in both 

 cases to their nests. 



I believe this appears" to be interesting from a veterinary point of 

 view also. 



Does the reader of this paper know whether the wasjjs stupefy the 

 flies ? 



I am sorry to say that I could not observe this point. 



Species of Bembex are usually found in sandy places but they are so 

 cjuick on the wing that it is generally very difficidt to observe them. 

 Bingham, in his Fauna volume, notes that they prey on Dij^tera and 

 states that some Indian species do not close their biUTOWs but keep them 

 open and supjily their larvae with fresh food. I am not aware, however, 

 that the species of Diptera so taken have been definitely determined 

 before. 



03.— NOTES O.X THE LIFE-HISTOEY OF CANTAO OCEL- 

 LATUS, TH. 



By T. 



Y. Eam.xkrishxa Ayyar. B.A.. F.E.S., F.Z.S. 



EiiloinoloQisl, Madras. 



Ag. Goventmeni. 



(Plate 142.) 



During the months from May to July this gay-coloured Pentatomid 

 is found in numbers on Trciria midijolia, an Euphorbiaceous tree growing 

 abundantly along the banks of the big tanks adjoining the Agricultural 

 College, Coimbatore, South India. Due to the striking colouration and 

 its habit of feeding c]uite exposed on the tender leaves and succulent 

 fruits of the tree, this bug many a time attracts the attention even of 

 the layman. 



So far as I am aware, very little is on record regarding the early stages 

 and habits of this bug although the insect has been known to science for 

 over a hundred years past. According to Dixon this insect is sparingly 

 found in the.Borghat (Bombay) in April-May and appears to play an 

 important part in the pollination of the Moon tree {Macaranga roxhwghii). 

 Green states that in Ceylon this species is found gregariously twenty or 

 thirty together on single branches of trees. Lefi-oy in his Indian Insect 

 Lite has a word aboiit the insect's habit of sitting on its eggmass. 



