Mr. M. M. Lal. 
Mr. Fletcher. 
Re bee 
met 
Mr. M. M. Lal. 
Mr. Fletcher. 
104 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 
Attacking the bolls and seeds of cotton we find :— 
Earias fabia 
, insulana. 
Gelechia gossyprella. 
Anatrachyntis simplex. 
Heliothis obsoleta. 
Dysdercus cingulatus. 
Oxycarenus letus. 
Alphitobius prceus. 
Both species of Harias have acquired a considerable economic litera- 
ture in India. The latest account is given in “ South Indian Insects,” 
[Earias insulana, pp. 384-385, tab. 22; H. fabia, p. 385, tab. 23]. In 
Southern India fabia is rather commoner ; in the Punjab cnsulana is 
much commoner than fabia in the Western Districts, but in the Eastern 
part of the Punjab fabia and insulana seem to be equally common. The 
damage done, however, is identical. In the aggregate both species 
must cause an immense loss to the cotton crop of India, but it is in the 
Punjab that this damage is most pronounced, and in some years it is 
very serious indeed running into a loss of several million pounds sterling. 
As the Punjab is so much concerned, perhaps Mr. Madan Lal will tell 
us about Harias in that Province. 
In the Punjab Larias (both species, but principally EF. imsulana) 
attacks the cotton plant every year. In some years the attack is more 
serious than in others. We have not worked for many years on this 
pest but the observations made so far show that there are two factors 
which exercise a check on its abundance, namely, the early monsoon 
rains and the presence of the parasite. If we have early monsoon rains 
in June and July, the early broods are destroyed more or less, as the 
affected buds and flowers drop down onto the ground. 
But are not the larve found boring in the shoots during the early 
stages of the attack ? 
They do attack the shoots but not to the same extent as they do 
the buds and flowers. The rain has an effect only on the affected buds 
and flowers which fall off the plants especially after a heavy shower 
of rain. 
In the later stages of growth of the plants, in August and September, 
the severity of the attack depends on the presence or absence of the 
parasite. If the parasite is present in the field, then the attack is less ; 
if the parasite is absent, then the attack is more. 
Can you give us any data regarding the factors controlling the abund- 
ance of the parasite ? 
