540 



Jardine (N. K.). Special Investigation into Tea Tortrix. — Ceylon 

 Administration Reports for 1917, Dept. Agric, 24tli January 1918. 

 [Keceived 17th October 1918.] 



A complete bibliography of Homona cojfearia has been compiled. 

 Food-plants, other than tea, include Eucharis grandiflora, Cinna- 

 momum catnphora (camphor), Persca graiissima (avocado pear), Acacia 

 decurrens, Erythrina lithosperma (dadap), Pithecolobium saman, 

 Eucalyptus robusta, Psidium cattleyanun (red giiava), Grevillea robusta,. 

 rose, cacao, Artocarpus integrifolia (jak) and Duranta plmneri. It has 

 also been recorded by planters on Citrus, Pelargonium, AcahqjJui^ 

 Stephanotis, chrysanthemum, Michaelmas daisy, sword bean and 

 cow bean. The life-history of this moth has been worked out in the 

 laboratory and a detailed account will be published. The effect of 

 climate has been very noticeable. Heavy and continuous rain appears 

 detrimental to the propagation of the insect. Larvae that have 

 completed the final moult apparently pupate prematurely in an 

 endeavour to escape the harmful conditions. Of these premature 

 pupations, 75 to 85 per cent, give rise to males. This is probably 

 one of the reasons why in excessively wet weather H. coffearia practi- 

 cally disappears, there being too small a proportion of females to 

 continue the race. Many of the larvae die off during wet weather 

 of a disease brought on by excessive moisture ; wliilst others are attacked 

 by several species of fungi, including a yeast which was apparently 

 the cause of an epidemic among them. Infestation is most marked 

 during the driest period, February-June. As the south-west monsoon 

 is responsible for a general distribution of the pest, it has been suggested 

 that dadap trees should be planted along the south-west ridges to 

 break the advance of the adult moths, and act as a trap from which 

 eggs and larvae may be collected. Man}^ experiments have been 

 instituted to ascertain the variation of metamorphosis according to 

 altitude and locality. 



With regard to parasites, those of the egg include Trichogramma 

 australicum, and T. minutum or Trichogrammatoidea ? nana. Two 

 species of Proctotrupes are also parasitic on it, while Ophion bicarinatus, 

 Phytodiaetus cajniae and a Syrphid have been hatched from larvae 

 of H. coffearia, and a Chalcid of the genus Leucospis from the pupae. 

 The value of predaceous insects, birds and bats is being investigated. 

 Mason wasps have been observed to carry off a number of larvae from 

 the curled leaves. Birds do not apparently reduce the numbers of 

 H. coffearia to any appreciable extent ; on the contrary, by devouring 

 its parasites they tend to benefit the pest. 



Speyer (E. R.). Shot-hole Borer of Tea. Extract from Qtrly. Rapt, 

 of the Entomologist, April-June 1918. — Trop. Agriculturist,. 

 Peradeniya, li, no. 2, August 1918, p. 102. 



Experiments have shov\rn that adults of the shot-hole borer of tea 

 [Xyleborus fornicatus] emerge from buried prunings in dry weather in 

 considerable numbers. No manure in ordinary use prevents the 

 escape of beetles from prunings, and in dry weather it is considered 

 better to leave prunings on the ground than to bury them. In wet 

 weather, when the earth above the prunings received the normal 

 rainfall, adults emerged in small quantities as before, even when they 



