PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 931 



In my experiments I enclosed green pods in paper bags and even then Mr. Ramrao. 

 they were attacked. 



Our experience at Pusa supports that of Mr. Eamrao. Mr. Fletcher. 



The question of the identity of these Bruchids, and of the distinctions 

 between the various species, seems at present to be in considerable con- 

 fusion. Last year we sent a number to Dr. Marshall for determination 

 but we have not yet received the identifications. 



69.— ON THE INSECT PARASITES OF SOME INDIAN CROP- 

 PESTS. 



Bij T. v. Ra.m.vkrishna Ayyar, B.A., F.E.S., F.Z.S., Acting Government 

 Entomologist, Madras. 



It need hardly be stated that the study of insect parasites — especially 

 of those which are natural enemies of some of our important crop-pests — 

 offers a very wide and almost unexplored field in India. Besides being 

 very fascinating from a purely scientific point of view, this study is of the 

 greatest importance in connection with some of the problems of Agricul- 

 tural Entomology connected with the «various control-measures against 

 insect pests. 



Among the various insect parasites we know of, the representatives 

 of the Order Hymenoptera are by far the most numerous and important. 

 There is little doubt that there is a considerable amount of material of 

 these insects which have been collected or reared out, not only at Pusa 

 but at the different centres in India where any entomological work is 

 done. But unfortunately very little appears to have been done in the 

 way of getting this material worked out and the economic importance 

 of the different forms recorded or estimated. Systematists like Cameron, 

 Szepligetti, Ashmead, Viereck, Crawford, Morley. etc., have recorded 

 sundry Indian species of parasitic Hymenoptera in different scientific 

 periodicals ; but all of these are systematic papers and there is very little 

 in these descriptions to show the economic aspect of these parasites. 

 In spite of this drawback such papers are really useful because of the fact 

 that, in order to properly appreciate the real importance or otherwise 

 of these different forms, ^he correct identification of each species is a 

 very essential factor. 



I therefore venture to believe, that the little information contained 

 in this paper regarding some of our reared parasites which I have managed 

 to get identified within the past year or two, may be of some use in adding 

 to our knowledge of Indian parasitic Hymenoptera in relation to their 

 hosts. The paper is certainly imperfect, but is only prepared to point 



