72 



it being E. jahia : E. insulana did not appear till late in the seascn, 

 and then in small numbers only. Earias was heavily parasitised by 

 Rhogas in July, but this condition rapidly changed, probably owing 

 to a wet season ; the parasites recurred, however, at the end of 

 September. There is httle difference between the degree of parasi- 

 tism of Earias by Rhogas in bhindi and country cotton, but in 

 American cotton Earias was less attacked. It is often stated that 

 American cotton is more susceptible to damage by bollworm than 

 desi cotton, but in the year under report, as m ell as in previous years, 

 the reverse has been the case, the damage, however, being more 

 readily seen in American cotton owing to the habit of the plant and 

 the large and conspicuous boll. 



No parasites were bred from P. gossypieUa. 



Other cotton pests included Sylepta derogafa, which appeared as 

 usual chiefly on American cotton in August, but did no damage, 

 being troublesome only on grown cotton under nets for plant breeding 

 purposes, and being being easily controlled by handpinking. Anomis 

 (Cosmophila) erosa also infested netted plants, but caused no damage 

 in the fields. Dysdercus cingulalus increased rapidly at the begiiming 

 of November and it was found necessary to keep it down by hand- 

 picking. Empoasca gossypii, Ooycarenus laetvs, and Myllocerus 

 niaculos'us were also found in small numbers. 



Phthorimaea operculeUa (potato moth) was again active in stored 

 potatoes in one district and extended demonstrations of the sand 

 storage method were given. This measure should however only be 

 adopted when it is necessary to stop the ravages of a pest that would 

 otherwise destroy practically the whole of the potatoes in the course 

 of 5 months' storage. When the potato moth is absent, storing in 

 open baskets gives much better results, as there is no overheating 

 due to defective ventilation. 



Chilo simplex appeared as usual in young sugar-cane in March and 

 April, when damaged shoots w ere collected and destroyed. It also 

 appeared in large numbers in August and September in juar [Sorghum 

 vuigare]. Organised destruction of juar and sugar-cane stubbles 

 over large areas would probably control the pest. Scirpophaga sp. 

 was also found on sugar-cane in March and April. The sugar-cane 

 leaf-hopper, Pyrilla aberrans, was found in large numbers in October. 

 All stages, eggs, nymphs and adults were present, the eggs being 

 parasitised by a Chalcid not yet identified. 



Helioihis (Chloridea) ohsoleta and Phytometra (Plusia) nigrisigna 

 were both found on gram in March, but no serious damage was done. 

 The former is parasitised by an Ichneumonid. 



The bugs, Anoplocnemis plmsiana and Nezara viridtda, were found 

 in small numbers on indigo in July. 



Burt (B. C). Report on the Agricultural Experiment Stations in the 

 Central Circle, United Provinces, for the Year ending 30th June 



1917.— Allahabad, 1918, 89 pp. [Received 16th December 1918.] 



The entomological notes for the year are given on pp. 28-32 of this 

 report. 



In the earlier part of the season the attacks on American and desi 

 cotton and bhindi {Hibiscus escidentus] by various bollworms followed 

 the same course as in the previous year. Earias first appeared, boring 



