46 



Davidson (W. M.). Early Spring Syrphidae in California and a new 



Pijiiza (Dip.).— Entom. News, Philadelphia, xxviii, no. 9, November 

 1917, pp. 414-419, 1 fig. 



Among the Syrphids dealt with in this paper, Pipiza calif ornica, 

 sp. n., is described. The larvae are aphidophagous, a male fly having 

 been reared from a larva found feeding upon Pemphigus pojndicauUs, 

 Fitch. 



Ballard (E.). Notes on the Life-History of Megacoelum stramineum, 

 VJa\k.-~ Madras Agric. Dept. Year Booh 1917, Madras, 2nd 

 February 1917, pp. 83-87, 2 figs. 



The Capsid bug, Megacoelum stramineum, presumably occurs all over 

 India and in the Madras Presidency is commonly found on cholam 

 (Andropogon sorghum), on which it feeds, ovipositing in the ripening 

 grain. The injury it does is not so great as that caused by another 

 bug, Calocoris angustatus, with which it is nearly always found, and 

 which damages the immature and unfertilised florets. Cholam grown 

 under irrigation during the hot weather does not appear to be heavily 

 infested, but the insect has been found hiding in the central leaf- whorl 

 of young cholam and cumbu, and has been observed on various other 

 crops such as ground-nut and gingelly [Sesamum indicum). 



The eggs, which are provided with a conspicuous white ridge or 

 collar, part of which forms a tag-like prolongation, under natural 

 conditions are laid one in each grain. They hatch in 6 or 7 days 

 and maturity is attained in 10 or 11 days after five moults ; the 

 females are very prolific, the number of eggs deposited by each being 

 from 150 to 200. 



No effective methods have yet been devised for destroying or 

 checking this pest, and with the exception of an Acarid found 

 infesting an adult female in one case, no natural enemies have been 

 recorded. 



Eao (Y. E.). Adisura atkinsoni, Moore. — Madras Agric. Dept. Year 

 Book 1917, Madras, 2nd February 1917, pp. 87-91, 1 fig. 



This Noctuid moth is a pest of Dolichos lablab throughout the Madras 

 Presidency where it also attacks red gram {Cajanus indicus) to a small 

 extent. The eggs are laid singly either on the pods or on the flower- 

 buds and hatch in three days. The caterpillar, which is full-grown in 

 eight days after four moults, is capable of doing much damage, often 

 attacking several pods in succession. It may be easily distinguished 

 from the larva of Heliothis (Chloridea) obsoleta, which also feeds on lablab 

 and red gram, by its comparatively smooth skin and its habit of entering 

 bodily into the pods. In from 4-6 days the larva leaves the pod and 

 pupates in an oval earthen chamber in the soil, the moth emerging 11 

 days later. It breeds only in the cold weather, following the habits 

 of lablab and red gram w^hich fruit only during the cold months. 



The caterpillar is parasitised by a yellowish Braconid (? Rhogas sp.), 

 which IS itself attacked by a Chalcid hyperparasite. 



