Mr. Ramakrishn 
Ayyar. Ee 
Mr. Ratiram. 
Mr. M. M. Lal. 
Mr. Fletcher. 
Mr. Ghosh. 
Mr. Fletcher. 
152 PROCEEDINGS OF TITE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 
figs. 1-7, and I do not think there is much to add. This scale is found 
on both surfaces of the cane-leaves and not, asa rule, under the sheath- 
ing leaves. 
Aclerda japonica has been noted on cane at Partabgarh, United 
Provinces, and at Jubbulpur, in the Central Provinces. The scales 
occur on the nodes below the sheathing leaves, the space between the 
cane and the sheathing leaves being filled with a thick, flocculent, whitish 
substance. The specimens sent from Jubbulpur were parasitized by a 
Chalcidid. In the Central Provinces it is reported to occur after the 
rains are over and, if it appears earlier, to retard the growth of the: 
young plants. 
Has anyone anything to say about Scale-insects on sugarcane ? 
At Coimbatore a mealy-bug, pinkish in colour, is found in masses at 
the joints and nodes of sugarcane under the leaf-sheaths. 
A similar mealy-bug is found on thin canes at Tharsa, in the Central 
Provinces. 
In the Punjab similar mealy-bugs were collected from soft-skinned 
varieties of cane. . 
There seems to be some doubt about the identity of these mealy- 
bugs, but Ripersia sacchari is usually the commonest species found on 
cane. It seems to occur in almost all districts and is found commonly 
on pulling back the sheathing leaves. 
Has anyone anything more to say about sugarcane ? 
In order to facilitate operations against insect pests of sugarcane, 
it would be an advantage if the custom, practised in some localities 
such as Bankura, of tying up old leaves around the bunches of cane, 
were followed. This practice keeps the field clear so that one can walk 
through it. In this connection I may mention that a coat and pantaloons 
of net, made of rope, is worn over their ordinary dhoti by cultivators 
working in cane fields in that district. The net saves the skin from. 
being scratched by the leaves. 
Saccharum spontaneum. 
In most parts of India one finds various wild species of Saccharum 
and these may be of some importance in acting as alternative foodplants 
for cane-pests. At Pusa we get Saccharum spontaneum and on this we 
have found a Hispine beetle identical with that found on cane at Pusa 
(whether this is Phidodonta modesta or not seems doubtful, as we saw just 
now), and boring in the stem we find Sesamia inferens and Phragma- 
toecia castanee.  Sesanna inferens of course occurs in sugarcane but 
Phragmatecia castanee has never been noticed in cane hitherto. It 
