70 



idea of the amount of damage caused by the borers, other agents 

 affecting the plants simultaneously have to be taken into consideration ; 

 these include fungous diseases, which, besides being primary agents of 

 damage themseh'es, generally follow borer attack ; termites ; 

 Gryllotalpa afyicana (mole cricket) ; Melolonthid, Curculionid, 

 Chrvsomelid and Elaterid larvae ; and Dory his sp. (red ants). 



Over 30 species of borers are dealt witli, and a classified list of them 

 is given with keys to the larvae of the Lepidoptera concerned and to the 

 pupae of Raphimetopiis [Anerastia), Diatraea and Chile. A list of 

 borers arranged under the headings of the plants attacked is also given. 



At the present stage of the investigations no practical effective 

 remedial measures against the borers can be suggested. The presence 

 or absence of alternative food-plants certainly affects the prevalence 

 of Pyralid and Noctuid borers in any crop. The cutting out of " dead 

 hearts " in sugar-cane and dry ears of rice is not advocated. Insects 

 such as Scirpophaga spp. and Diatraea sp., that attack fully grown 

 canes, may be checked by the removal of the affected stems, at least 

 until a better method of dealing with them has been devised. 



The natural enemies include Chalcid, Braconid and Ichneumonid 

 parasites of practically all species of Diatraea, Chilo and Scirpophaga 

 andCarabid grubs, Chlaenius sp., which have been occasionally observed 

 preving on borer larvae, but the effect of the latter is apparently not 

 verv great. This important paper should be consulted in tlic originah 



IMisRA (C. S.). Some Indian Economic Aleyrodidae. — Rcpt. Proc. 

 3rd Entom. Meeting, Piisa, Febriiarv 1919, Calcutta, ii, 1920, 

 pp. 418-433, 8 plates. 



Aleurolohus barodensis. Mask, (sugar-cane white-fly), has been under 

 observation for 14 years in various parts of the Central Provinces, 

 the degree of infestation being variable. When ratoon cane is allowed 

 to remain on the ground, the infestation on the new plantations is 

 noticeably worse. In bad cases the whitish puparia on the leaves give 

 the plants a white appearance, while the lower leaves are covered 

 with a black fungus, Capnodinm sp., associated with the honey-dew 

 excreted by the insects. 



This pest seems to prefer broad-leaved varieties of sugar-cane. 

 Eggs are laid during the winter on the apices of unopened leaves or 

 on old leaves full of nymphs and puparia. The clusters contain from 

 about 3 to 50 eggs, the average being about 40. Nymphs, puparia 

 and adults are seen during December, January and February. The 

 adults are particularly active from August onwards, but are adversely 

 affected by the hot winds of May and June. The stages are described. 

 During August a complete life-cycle was observed to last 24 to 25 days ; 

 in the winter it must occupy a much longer period. 



No parasites of the eggs or adults have been observed, but tlie 

 nymphs and pupae are heavily parasitised by three species of Chalcids, 

 especially towards the end of the year. The most important of these is 

 briefly described and figured. In 1907 the removal of infested leaves 

 in the most affected plots was tried, and much good was done, but the 

 method is rather drastic. No other easy and effective measure seems 

 to be practicable. 



Xeomaskellia hergi, Sign., is a much less serious pest of sugar-cane, 

 sometimes seen on the lea\es with A. barodensis; when numerous, 

 the collection and destruction of egg-masses could be easily effected, 

 as they are very conspicuous. All stages are devoured by Scymniis sp. 



