557 



and burnt immediately after harvest or very early in the following 

 spring. The land should be further cleared by a dressing of gas lime 

 or a soil insecticide. Headlands should be brushed and the refuse 

 burnt there during late autumn or early spring, as the thrips may 

 hibernate there in considerable numbers. 



Edwards (F. W.). A third new British Plastosciara (Diptera, 

 Sciaridae).— £:«^. Mthly. Mag., London, no. 698, July 1922, 

 pp. 160-161. 



Plastosciara perniciosa, sp. n., here described, was found attacking 

 cucumber roots and stems in Sussex in May 1922. 



CoRBETT (G. H.). Entomological Jottings. — Malayan Agric. Jl., 

 Kuala Lumpur, x, no. 2, Februai'y 1922, pp. 56-59. 



The Hispid, Plesispa nipa, has been found on Nipa fruticans and 

 Metroxylon sagu near Malacca. This beetle closely resembles P. reichei, 

 a pest of young coconut palms, and it causes similar damage to the 

 plants it attacks. It can, however, be distinguished by its reddish 

 colour; and its eggs are laid in groups, while those of P. reichei are 

 laid singly. The weevil, Astycus chrysochloris, is generally distributed 

 throughout Malaya, the adults feeding on the leaves of rubber, limes, 

 castor, etc. The eggs are laid in the soil and hatch in about seven days. 

 Dysdercus cingulatus (cotton stainer) also attacks roselle [Hibiscus 

 sabdariffa'] and other plants. The eggs are laid in the soil and hatch in 

 about a week. The adults can be collected by hand or shaken into a 

 bag fitted with a tin funnel. Attacus atlas (atlas moth) is frequently 

 found in the caterpillar stage on soursop, candle-nut, guava, camphor 

 and Hmes. The eggs should be collected by hand. The Geometrid, 

 Hemithea costipunctata, is very troublesome on the flowers of rubber 

 in Kuala Lumpur. A Lepidopterous borer of rice has been identified 

 as Diatraea auricilia. The eggs are laid in groups on the leaves, and 

 some have been observed to be parasitised. Various caterpillars have 

 been noted damaging the candle-nut tree {Aleurites sp.). Prodenia 

 liUira has a large variety of food-plants, including castor. The eggs 

 are laid in groups on the leaves and hatch in about three days ; the 

 caterpillars live gregariously for a time and then scatter over the plant. 

 After about 20 days they enter the soil for pupation, and the adults 

 emerge about a week later. Egg-masses and caterpillars should be 

 collected as soon as they appear. Wliere necessary, arsenical sprays 

 might be employed. 



The greater coconut spike moth is responsible for some of the spikes 

 failing to produce nuts. Eggs are laid singly on the spikes, generally 

 where the buds overlap one another. They hatch in from three to 

 six days, and the larvae usually feed on the male flowers of the spike, 

 forming a gallery of excrement through which they move when dis- 

 turbed. Pupation takes place on the spike, the spathe, or at the base of 

 the spike. The minimum cycle from egg to adult seems to require 

 28 days and the maximum 43 days. All badly attacked spikes should 

 be removed and burnt and the trees cleared af fallen buds. Experi- 

 ments are being made in spraying and dusting. The lesser coconut 

 spike moth [Tirathaba sp.] damages both male and female flowers 

 before the spathe opens ; this injury by the caterpillars does not 

 seem to have been previously recorded. The white cocoons can be seen 

 at the base of the spike and occasionally on opening the spathe the 

 moths emerge. 



