153 



Ramakrishna Ayvar (T. V). An Entomologists' Crop Pest Calendar 

 for the Madras Presidency.— i^f;!)/. Proc. 4th Ent. Meeting, Pusa, 

 February 1921, Calcutta, 1921, pp. 49-55, 1 plate. 



The author has prepared a crop pest calendar, which, apart from 

 abnormal and exceptional infestations, may be taken as a rough 

 forecast of probable insect occurrence in the Madras Presidency. 

 A diagram is shown, representing the periodical occurrence of some 

 important paddy insects, with notes to supplement it. 



The pests in question are Spodoptera mauritia (swarming cater- 

 pillar), Schoenobius incertellus {bipunctifer) (paddy stem-borer), Hispa 

 armigera, Leptispa pygmaea, Leptocorisa varicornis (rice bug), Nym- 

 phula depimdalis, Hieroglvphus banian, Pachydiplosis oryzae, Pseudo- 

 coccus sacchari (mealy bug) and the thrips, Bagnallia oryzae. 



The author is of opinion that if such calendars are prepared for the 

 different Provinces they will provide a fund of information on the 

 distribution, seasonal variation and food habits of important crop 

 pests throughout the Indian Empire. 



Andrews (E. A). Some Notes on Attempts to produce Immunity 

 from Insect Attack on Tea.^Rept. Proc. 4th Ent. Meeting, Pusa, 

 February 1921, Calcutta, 1921, pp. 56-59. 



The work recorded earlier \R.A.E., A, ix, 77] has been carried 

 further on the same lines. It had already been clearly demonstrated 

 that an increase in the ratio of potash to phosphoric acid in the leaf 

 produces increased resistance to attack by Helopeltis, and experi- 

 ments had indicated that the addition of potash to the soil had 

 effectually increased that ratio. The only substance that has pro- 

 duced increased resistance is potash ; attempts to increase liability 

 to attack appear to have failed. The method of immersing the roots 

 in a solution of i to 1 per cent, potash (which proved to be the most 

 satisfactory strength) is described. Although for various reasons, 

 which are explained, many of the experiments were failures, the 

 successful ones confirm the work of 1919, and show that potash, when 

 taken up by the roots, results in decreased liability to attack, which 

 is not of the same degree under different conditions. The relations 

 between the results arrived at and the environmental conditions Jiave 

 yet to be worked out. 



Ballard (E.). Report of Campaign against Spodoptera mauritia, 

 Boisd. (Noctuidae) in Malabar. — Rept. Proc. 4th Ent. Meeting, 

 Pusa, February 1921, Calcutta, 1921, pp. 60-69, 5 plates. 



Spodoptera mauritia, Boisd., is one of the most serious pests of 

 padd}^ {Oryza saliva) in Malabar; it generally appears unexpectedly 

 and causes heavy losses within a short time. A short account of the 

 life-history of this moth is given [R.A.E., A, ix, 10]. The larvae 

 feed at night, except in districts that are permanently under water, 

 when they feed by day or remain clinging to the paddy blades, and 

 it is then that the insect can best be destroyed. In Malabar there is 

 only one generation a year, the moths emerging in May, by which 

 time most of the paddy has been sown. With the monsoon rains the 

 pest disappears, the larvae being drowned and carried away, or driven 

 to the tops of the paddy blades, where many of them are devoured 



(5733) L 



