PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 293 
Cylas formicarius [‘ South Indian Insects,” pp. 334-335, tab. 12] is 
common throughout most parts of India and we have it from Peradeniya 
(Ceylon), Coimbatore, Manjri (Bombay), Poona, Surat, Damoh (Central 
Provinces), and Pusa, but we have no examples from Burma, Assam 
or the United Provinces or northwards of that. Outside of India 
it is known from the Seychelles, Madagascar, Java, Philippines, Bouru, 
Hawaii, China, North Australia, Southern United States, Antilles and 
Guiana. It is probably an endemic Indian species which has been spread 
artificially with sweet potato tubers. 
_ So far as we are concerned, it is by far the worst pest of sweet potato 
and does very serious damage. Control is very difficult, one point 
about it being that the attack is often not noticeable until the damage 
has been done and the beetles are seen emerged and resting on the leaves. 
The beetles are attracted to light and some may be caught by light- 
traps but this is not effective as a control. Some beetles may also be 
caught in hand-nets or bag-nets swept over the foliage, but this again is 
not effective and, by the time that large numbers of beetles are caught 
in this way, it generally means that they have emerged from the tubers 
and that the damage has been done. The ‘planting of deep-rooting 
varieties has also been suggested, but the eges may be laid in the stems 
in which case the grubs are able to bore down into the tubers even 
when these are well below the ground. We do not know of any immune 
varieties of sweet potato. The best thing to do seems to be to keep a 
sharp look-out. for the appearance of the first adult beetles in the foliage 
and to harvest the crop as soon as possible thereafter. When the crop 
is dug, infested tubers should not be thrown away, as is often done, but 
should be boiled and, if not too badly infested, may be fed to cattle. 
Probably it feeds also on wild species of Ipomaa but we have no records 
of such foodplants ; if this is the case, such wild Ipomaa should be 
destroyed as far as possible in areas where sweet potato is grown. 
By harvesting early, it has been found that damage is reduced, and, Mr. @hosh. 
indeed, practically avoided. 
Melasia coniotalis was found as a pest at Pusa in March 1907, the Mr. Fletcher. 
larvee boring into the tubers below-ground. It has not since been noted 
to do damage although moths were caught in July 1910 and March 
1915. This species is figured in “Indian Insect Life,” tab. 52, figs. 
1-4. It has been recorded from Tibet, Kashmir, Simla, Ferozepur 
and Pusa, but is apparently not a common insect as a rule. 
Sucking insects found on sweet potato include :— 
Graptostethus servus. 
Halticus minutus. 
