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PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 
The leaves are eaten by :— 
Eptlachna 28-punctata. 
»,  12-stigma. 
Aulacophora abdominalis (fovercollis). 
i atripennis (excavata). 
Re stevenst. 
Pericallva ricina. 
Plusia peponis (agramma). 
Margaronia (Glyphodes) indica. 
Sphenarches caffer. 
Epilachna 28-punctata was discussed under brinjal. It is common 
on all pumpkins, gourds and cucurbitaceous plants generally throughout 
India and Burma and is always a minor pest occasionally doing a good 
deal of damage, the larvee and adult beetles both feeding on the leaves. 
Epilachna dodecastigma [‘* South Indian Insects,” p. 292, tab. 6] is 
equally common and widely distributed and with identical habits. In 
fact, the larve of these two species have not been differentiated as 
yet. Collection by hand of the insects in all stages, and in bad cases 
spraying, will provide control. 
Aulacophora abdominalis is described and figured in “ South Indian 
Insects,” p. 311, fig. 161, but the figures copied from Shiraki are not 
really of A. abdominalis but of an allied Japanese insect. We have 
since figured the complete lifehistory in a new coloured plate and I 
may remark that it took about five years to discover the mode of life 
of the early stages of this common insect. The eggs are laid in cracks 
and crevices in the soil and the larve live underground, feeding on or 
boring into roots, or on the surface of the ground feeding on fallen leaves. 
Pupation takes place in the soil in a regular cocoon. So far as leaves 
are concerned, it is practically only the adult beetle which attacks 
them ; occasionally a leaf lying on the ground may be eaten by the 
larvee, but the damage so done is insignificant. Young plants are most 
badly attacked and the damage to grown plants is not great as a rule. 
As regards the adult beetles, control is attained by (1) sprinkling the 
leaves with kerosinized ashes, (2) catching the beetles in hand-nets, 
(3) if necessary, spraying with a stomach-poison. The larva is un- 
important as a pest of leaves but is sometimes serious when it bores 
into the roots, especially in the case of young plants. In such cases, little 
can be done beyond watering with a repellent and destroying attacked 
plants, but the reduction in numbers of adults will lead to a correspond- 
ing reduction in damage done by grubs. Itis in the adult stage that 
this insect is most easily checked. 
