248 



Shannon (R. C.)- Habits of Some Tachinidae. — Proc. Entom. Soc, 

 Washington, D.C., xvi, no. 4, December 1914, p. 182. 



Many Tachinids are stated to be of nocturnal habit, including : — 

 Eutrixa exile, Coq., Cryptomeigenia iheidis, Walker, and an apparently 

 new species of Neophyto. Members of the genus Trichopoda have 

 recently been bred from various Hemiptera, one from Mefapodius 

 terminalis and one from M. instabilis. Reduviolus roseipennis is 

 stated to have been parasitised by Leucostoma atra, Towns. 



DiETZ (P. A.). Het Katjang-Vlindertje (het Vermeende Toa-Toh- 

 Motje). [The Katjang Moth (the so-called toa-toh-moth). — 

 Meded. v. h. Deli Proefst., Medan, viii, no. 8, 1914, pp. 273-278. 

 [Received 15tli January 1915.] 

 In consequence of the War in Europe, the tobacco planters of the 

 East Coast of Sumatra are growing large quantities of food-stuffs for 

 man and animals, and it is pointed out that this change of cultivation 

 may possibly lead to the importation of new insect pests or the serious 

 development of those which are at present regarded as of small account. 

 The Pyralid moth, Maruca testulalis, is very widespread on katjang 

 idjoe {Phaseolus mungo) and the author calls it the katjang moth to 

 distinguish it from the toa-toh moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Lita 

 solanella), with which it is often confused. The eggs are laid on the 

 flower buds of the katjang, the caterpillar bores into the bud and 

 consumes it from within outwards, binding the flowers and buds 

 together with a web. Before the caterpillar is full grown, the buds 

 and flowers fail to supply sufficient food, and it attacks the pods, bores 

 through them and eats the seeds. It is then ready to pupate and 

 generally falls to the ground, but cases of pupation in the pod are not 

 uncommon ; the pupal stage in the ground lasts 9 or 10 days and 

 the whole life-cycle from five to six weeks. Early picking is of little 

 use, as the pods are damaged long before they are ripe. In some cases, 

 instead of attacking the pods, the caterpillar in the later stages of its 

 life, bores into the stem. It is this habit which has caused it to be 

 confused with P. opercideUa, but the tobacco-growers have no cause 

 for alarm, as it will not attack tobacco. The hole in the stem is 

 characteristic, being large and irregular and without any local swelling,, 

 whereas P. opercidella makes a clean round hole ; when the katjang 

 moth attacks the stem, it pupates in the ground, which is not the case 

 with P. ojjercidella. Kedele {Glycine soja) is not attacked, nor is 

 Canavallia ensiformis, probably because the pod is too thick, but 

 Vigna catjang [cow-pea] is attacked in much the same way as Phaseolus 

 mungo and the damage done is often greater. 



BuscK (A.). Descriptions of New Microlepidoptera of Forest Trees. — 



Proc. Entom. Soc, Washington, D.C., xvi, no. 4, December 1914, 



143-149, 3 figs. 



The following new species of Microlepidoptera are described as being 



injurious to various forest trees : Aegeria (Sesia) brunneri on Pinus 



ponderosa ; Recurvaria milleri on P. tnurrayana ; Evetria hushnelli, which 



is seriously injurious to P. ponderosa and other pines ; E. virginiana 



on P. virginiana ; E. taxifoliella on Pseudotsuga iaxifolia ; E. 



metallica on P. ponderosa ; E. mortana on P. contorta ; E. albicapitana 



on P. divaricata ; Swam^iierdamia castaneae on Castanea dentata ; 



Ectoedemia heinrichi on Quercus palustris. 



