165 



should be used as much as possible in place of animal manures. 

 Preventive measures should be practised for autumn planting of 

 lucerne and oats in areas liable to infestation. Pigs and poultry 

 should be allowed to run in infested lields. Ploughing is of little 

 value, except in late May or June, and should be deep. Manure 

 should not be applied to the ground until after the beetles have dis- 

 appeared. In orchards hand-picking the adults is the only useful 

 method. As larvae are often introduced into greenhouses in soil, 

 it should be previously sterilised with steam. 



HuTsoN (J. C). Report of the Entomologist. — Rept. Ceylon Dept. 

 Agric, 1920, Peradeniya, 1921, pp. C. 15-17. [Received 23rd 

 January 1922.] 



Many of the pests on tea in Ce3'lon during 1920 have already been 

 noticed [R.A.E., A, ix, 318] ; others, include Orgyia postica, Eican- 

 optera opaca, Pidastya acutipennis, Chionaspis theae, Toxoptera coffeae 

 ( Ceylonia theaecola) and Heterodera radicicola. The pests of rubber were 

 Comocritis pieria, Batocera nihiis, Saissetia hemisphaerica, S. nigra, 

 Chionaspis dilatata, Hemichionaspis dracaenae, Sipalus hypocrita and 

 Xylinades indignus. Cacao pests include Arbela quadrinotata, 

 Helopeltis sp., and Toxoptera aurantiae, which is generally controlled 

 by Coccinellids and other natural enemies. 



The following were reported on coconuts : Nephantis serinopa, 

 Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, Oryctes rhinoceros, and larvae of Hercidia 

 nigrivitta and two new moths, Erechthias pachy gramma, Meyr., and 

 E. lampadacma, Meyr. Rice pests include : Leptocorisa acuta, 

 Schoenohius incertellus {hipunctifer) , and Spodoptera mauritia. In 

 addition to the leaf-eating caterpillars of paddy mentioned in the 

 last year's report [R.A.E., A, viii, 519], the following are also re- 

 ported : Melanitis ismene, Ampittia maro, Leucania venalba, Lenodora 

 vittata and Orsotrioena mandata ; and the leaf-hoppers, Typhlocyba 

 subrufa, Nephotettix bipunctatus and Tettigoniella spectra. Zenzera 

 coffeae and Coccus viridis have been recorded on coffee. 



Pests of leguminous plants include : — On Erythrina lithosperma : 

 Otinotus elongatus, 0. oneratus and Agathodes ostentalis. On Cajarms 

 indiciis : Bruchus chinensis, the Coreid, Clavigralla sciitellaris, and 

 caterpillars of Pseiidoterpna chlora. 



The damage caused by Agrotis spp. in vegetable gardens, and the 

 remedial measures against them have already been noticed [R.A.E., 

 A, ix, 123]. The following pests on various food crops are recorded : 

 Plutella macidipennis and Crocidolomia binotalis on cabbage ; Plutella 

 sera on turnip ; Dacus (Bactrocera) cucurbitae in pumpkins, etc. ; 

 Epilachna vigintioctopunctata and Urentius echinus on leaves of egg- 

 plant {Solanum melongena) ; Helcystogramma hibisci, folding leaves 

 of Hibiscus esculentus ; Chilo sp. and Dactylispa soror, a leaf-miner, 

 in maize ; a Fulgorid, Orchesma signata, on leaves of sugar-cane ; 

 Odoiporus longicollis in bulbs of plantain ; Aul arches miliar is on jak ; 

 Apoderus tranquebaricus on mango ; and Telchinia violae on Passiflora 

 edidis. The following were observed in stored products : Bruchus 

 chinensis and B. obtectus in peas and beans ; Sitotroga cerealella, 

 Corcyra cephalonica and Calandra oryzae in rice ; Ephestia cautella 

 and Corcyra cephalonica in cacao beans ; and Lasioderma sp. in leaf 

 tobacco. 



