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NOTES ON THE LIFE-HISTORIES OF TWO MESOPOTAMIAN MOTHS. 

 By Rao Sahib Y. Ramachandra Rao, M.A., 



Assistant EfUomologisl, Agricultural College, Coimbatore. 



Ocnerogyia amanda, Staud., a Pest of Figs. 



The following few notes are intended to supplement the excellent account of 

 the life-history and habits of this insect already published by Mr. P. A. Buxton 

 (Bull. Ent. Res. xi, pp. 181-186). Working as an Assistant Entomologist under 

 the Agricultnral Directorate at Baghdad, during the year 1919-1920, I had a few 

 opportmiities of observing this pest in Mesopotamia. I met with it in small numbers 

 at Museyib on the Euphrates in June 1920, and at Karradah (a subin-b of Baghdad) 

 from June to the middle of September of the same year. It is evidently sporadic 

 in its distribution ; for I did not find it in gardens at Jadriyah, situated only three 

 miles west of Karradah, nor did I notice it in any of the gardens at Hillah, which 

 is situated on the Euphrates, about 25 miles south of Museyib. 



The eggs are deposited in groups of 20 to 50 or more, being usually laid on the 

 bark of the stems and less frequently on the underside of leaves. The egg is hemi- 

 spherical in shape, and is attached by its conve.x face, while its distal face is flat 

 and has a central depression. It is shiny yellow when freshly deposited, but soon 

 becomes covered with dust. The larva when ready to hatch emerges by biting a 

 large hole in the side of the egg. 



The caterpillar when freshly hatched is less than 2 mm. long, light yellow in 

 colour, and covered with light grey hairs. It passes through six moults before it 

 becomes full-grown. A caterpillar that hatched on 18. vi. 1920 went through the first 

 moult on 20.vi.20, the second moult on 22.vi.20, the third moult on 24-25.vi.20, 

 the fourth moult on 27-28. vi. 20, the fifth moult on l.vii.20, and the sixth moult on 

 4-5.vii.20. It began to build its cocoon on ll.vii.20, and finished it on 12.vii.20, 

 but unfortunately died on the 13th July. Another caterpillar of the same batch, 

 which hatched on 18.vi.20, began preparing its cocoon on ll.vii.20, pupated on 

 12-13. vii. 20, and emerged as a moth on 20.vii.20. The larval period in these cases, there- 

 fore, covered about 24 days. The larva of the last or seventh instar is 22 to 28 mm. 

 long ; it is very hairy. The general coloration of the body is a soft greyish-brown, 

 marbled with darker markings. The head is rugose and of an opaque pale brown. 

 The prothoracic shield is not distinctly defined, but is broad and pale brown with 

 a median stripe. On each side of the shield there is a prominent, anteriorly directed 

 tubercle, carrying a conspicuous pencil of spines and hairs. A dorso-median streak 

 of brownish-orange colour stretches from the head to the hind end. The trunk 

 carries dorsally a number of tubercles, each bearing a bunch of spinelike bristles and 

 long silky hairs — all of a greyish colour. The tubercles are disposed more or less 

 as follows : — (1) A single dorso-lateral row ; (2) a double row above the spiracles ; 

 and (3) another double row below the spiracles. 



The larva feeds on the leaves during night-time, and hides in cracks in the soil 

 or in crevices in the bark during the day. Occasionally, however, a few specimens 

 may be found resting on the lower surface of leaves during the day. In the 

 case under my observation at Karradah, most of the leaves were damaged to a 

 greater or less extent, but the numbers of the pest were not large enough to cause 

 entire defoliation. 



