PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 85 
Have you tried any control-measures ? Mr. Fletcher, 
At the Surat Farm, removal of the affected top-shoots is tried. Mr. Jhaveri. 
That seems the only thing to do but I doubt whether it is practicable Mr. Fletcher. — 
on a field scale. 
Nysius inconspicuus is a small Lygaeid bug which has been recorded 
on Sesamum in South Kanara. We do not know much about it as a 
pest. 
A few sucking insects are found on Seswmum but the only ones that 
we need mention are :— 
Eusarcocoris ventralis. 
Aphanus sordidus. 
Eusarcocoris ventralis [‘‘ South Indian Insects,” pp. 471-472, fig. 
349] was once found in Ganjam on Sesamum as a serious pest, but 
otherwise we do not know it as doing any damage. 
Aphanus sordidus |“ South Indian Insects,” p. 483, fig. 368] is some- 
times a serious pest of Sesamum and the bug has the curious habit of 
sucking the ripe seeds and even of carrying them away. In the case 
of harvested plants the bugs may be brought in, ‘or may congregate, in 
very large numbers and may then be killed by beating with brooms or 
similar weapons. 
At Nadiad and in Khandesh Aphanus is found in large numbers on Mr. Jhaveri. 
harvested plants. 
Thousands of these bugs may occur in the harvesting yard and, Mr. Ghosh. 
when the bundles of plants are shaken or moved, they spread all around. 
At that time they may easily be swept up and destroyed. 
At least one boring insect attacks Sesamum and that is Oberea sesame Mr. Fletcher. 
(Lamiade). The egg is laid on the midrib of a leaf, the larva boring 
into the midrib of the leaf and then downwards into the stem of the 
plant until it reaches the root, where it pupates. Hibernation takes 
place in the larval stage. Very serious damage may be done sporadi- 
cally. As regards control, eight or ten days elapse before the larva 
bores into the stem and the affected leaves, which show characteristic 
yellow blotches, may be collected at that time. This insect only seems 
to have been noticed in Baroda. 
In the roots of Sesamum there is also a fly, as yet unidentified, but 
perhaps 2 species of Psila. It is said to be serious at Hoshangabad and 
has also been noticed at Nagpur and Pusa, but we seem to know very 
little about it. The larva lives in the roots of the plants and may be 
a minor pest. The adult is figured in “ Indian Insect Life,” p. 629, 
fig. 415. 
