PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 93 
Mites are sometimes very bad, the attacked plants turning pale Mr. Ramakriski a 
yellow. Dusting with Sulphur has been tried with success on a plot Ayyar. 
of three to four acres. 
Jassids were reported to have done some damage to groundnut at Mr. Ghosh 
Kanki Farm, near Ranchi, in September 1915. I visited the Farm at 
that time and found some green Jassids still on the plants. Mr. Dobbs 
said that there had previously been a large number of these insects. 
I found, on examining the plants, that the undersurfaces of the leaves 
were discoloured as if scorched ; at that time the attack was over and 
the plants were recovering to a great extent. No control measures 
had been applied. 
Boring in the stem of groundnut we have Sphenoptera arachidis Mr. Fletcher. 
[‘‘ South Indian Insects,” pp. 298-299, figs. 141, 142] which has been 
called arachidis because it attacks groundnut especially, although I 
may note that this name is a nomen nudum. In Madras it is known as 
ver-puchi in groundnut-growing districts and in South Arcot especially 
it is often a serious pest. It isan insect which requires further investiga- 
tion, pending which we can only advise destruction of attacked plants. 
Some years back Sphenoptera arachidis was found at Hagari in the Mr. Ramachandra 
Bellary District. In that district it 1s not a serious pest and only Rao. 
appears sporadically. The people pull out .the affected plants and 
destroy them. 
This insect occurs in Bombay also. In 1914, in an isolated plot of Mr. Jhaveri. 
groundnut, some plants were found dying. On cutting up the affected 
plants, this borer was discovered inside the stems. It has never been 
reported as a serious pest in Bombay. 
The seeds of groundnut are attacked by Aphanus sordidus |“ South Mr. Fletcher. 
Indian Insects,” p. 483, fig. 368] whose habits we had occasion to notice 
before under Sesamum. Its habits as regards harvested groundnut 
crops are much the same and this insect is often found in very large 
numbers on harvesting-floors. 
The adult bug occurs on the groundnut plants in the fields and Mr. Ramachandra 
probably sucks the sap of the shoots and leaves. Rao. 
Yes ; that is noted in my book. Itis, however, on the harvested crop Mr. Fletcher. 
that the bug becomes a pest. I do not think we know anything about 
its early stages and where they are passed. 
The roots of groundnut are attacked by a few insects, amongst 
which are :— 
Anomala. 
Termites. 
Dorylus orientalis. 
Gonocephalum elongatum. 
