PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 2735 
Oprum Poppy (Papaver somniferum). 
The cultivation of the Opium Poppy is now very much restricted Mr. Fletcher. 
and there seems to be little on record regarding the pests which attack 
this plant. On my list I have the following insects :— 
Heliothis obsoleta. 
Euxoa spinifera. 
Agrotis ypsilon. 
Prodenia litura. 
Tanymecus indicus. 
Atmetonychus peregrinus. 
Chrotogonus spp. 
Thrips. 
Heliothis obsoleta has been recorded as attacking poppy heads in 
the United Provinces. If in numbers this insect would be likely to 
do considerable damage and would be difficult to check except by hand- 
collection of the larvee and anyway the heads attacked would be spoilt. 
Euzxoa spinifera is on my list but we do not seem to have any definite 
evidence that it attacks poppy and its status in this connection is doubt- 
ful. The larva usually feeds at the roots of plants. 
Agrotis ypsilon has been recorded in “ Indian Museum Notes,’ 
Vol. V, p. 184, as “ doing great damage to the poppy crop in particular 
localities in the Shahabad District.”” We have one of these original 
Shahabad specimens, sothat the identification is confirmed. Otherwise 
we do not know A. ypsilon as a pest of poppy, although it is likely to 
be so, especially of young plants. This species was discussed under 
cram. Ina case of regular serious attacks in any areas, control could 
probably be secured by the use of Andres-Maire traps. 
Prodenia litura also feeds on poppy leaves but whether it is a pest 
we do not know. If it does damage, control should aim at collection of 
ego-masses and batches of young larvee. 
Tanymecus indicus was found on poppy at Burhampur, in the United 
Provinces, but we do not know of it as a pest. 
In * Indian Museum Notes,” Vol. III, p. 12, there is described and 
figured an unnamed weevil which was reported in December 1891 as 
doing considerable damage to poppy plants in Partabgarh and Ghazi- 
pur. Possibly this was T. indicus. 
Atmetonychus peregrinus |Marshall, Fauna of India, Curculionidae, 
Vol. I, pp. 112-113, fig. 37] was found on poppy at Fyzabad, in the 
United Provinces, but it is not a pest as far as we know. It occurs from 
Bengal to the Punjab and has been found on Zizyphus jujuba, on potato 
leaves, and on bhindi (Hibiscus esculentus). 
U 
