PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 237 
a Pseudococeus, but I am not certain whether this was in India or not ; 
it was a long time ego and I rather think it must have been in the Sey- 
chelles. 
PLANTAIN ; Banana (Musa sapientum). 
Plantains of various varieties are grown practically throughout our Mr, Fletcher. 
limits and are attacked by various pests of which the most serious are 
the stem-borers. 
On the leaves we get :— 
Diacrisia obliqua. 
Pericallia ricint. 
Prodenia litura. 
Parasa lemda. 
Nodostoma subcostata. 
Diacrisia obliqua occasionally occurs on plantain leaves in Bihar 
and Bengal, but is scarcely a pest. The young 'arve may be collected 
whilst gregarious, and destroyed. 
Pericallia ricini is occasionally found on plantain, chiefly in Madras. 
The larvee may be collected and destroyed. 
Prodenia litura has also been found at times on plantain leaves but 
this is an unusual foodplant. 
In the Central Provinces Prodenia litura occurs on plantain leaves. Mr. Ratiram. 
Parasa lepida occurs on plantain not uncommonly and the larvae Mr. Fletcher. 
being s'uggish, seem to remain in one place and eat large holes and 
patches in the leaves. The attack is thus conspicuous and the larve 
easily found and killed, care being taken not to handle them. I saw 
some plantains quite badly attacked by this species near Virajpet in 
Coorg in October 1915. 
Nodostoma subcostata is a small Chrysomelid beetle which seems to 
have a curiously restricted distribution as a pest, as it does not seem to 
have been noticed outside of Pusa, although it is recorded by Jacoby 
[Fauna of India, Chrysomelide, p. 334] from Assam and Burma. At 
Pusa it is common and eats patches in the leaves in quite a conspicuous 
manner. It also attacks the skin of young fruits whose appearance 
is spoilt for the market as they are covered with black patches. In 
the case of gardens spraying is practicable and also catching of the 
beetles in hand-nets. In the case of a small number of plants it is pos- 
sible to check the pest by killing the beetles by hand when they are found 
in the central leaf-funnel. We should like to know whether this insect 
does not occur on plantains also in Bengal, Assam and Burma. 
