LIFE-HISTORIES OF INDIAN INSECTS. 
MICROLEPIDOPTERA. 
III. GELECHIADA. 
BY 
T. BAINBRIGGE FLETCHER, R.N., F.LS, F.ES., F.Z.S., 
Imperial Entomologist. 
[Received for publication on 27th June 1919.] 
SITOTROGA CEREALELLA, OLIV. (PLATE XVI, FIG. 1.) 
Alucita cerealella, Oliv., Ene. Meth., IV (Ins. I.), 121 (1789)(2). 
Sitotroga cerealella, Wism., P. Z. S., 1907, 928 (1908) [synonymy |(2) ; Fletcher, 
S. Ind. Ins., p. 456, f. 331 (1914)(8), Entl. Note 79 (1916)(4), Pac. tad SAG Muay oe he 
A cosmopolitan species, the larva found on grain of all kinds; known Cat he Bs he ie 
from N. America, 8. Africa, Australia, Europe, India, Ceylon and Japan. fiiol ee A ee 
It occurs commonly throughout India, Burma and Ceylon and we have it 
from a number of localities fanging from Peshawar to Coimbatore and Manda- 
lay. North Indian specimens are much larger than those from South India 
but otherwise there seems to be no difference. 
The larva feeds on stored grain (rice, maize, etc.), and is always a minor 
and sporadically a major pest. Mr. Beeson has also reared this species from 
bamboo seeds. The whole larval life is passed inside the grain, a single grain 
sufficing for each larva. Breeding goes on throughout the year except when 
the temperature is low, the life-cycle taking about four weeks asa rule, but 
it may last for only three weeks or it may extend up to six weeks, the egg 
stage lasting for about six days and the pupal for about eight days. 
In the case of paddy grain, the egg is always placed inside the scale envel- 
oping one end of the unhusked grain, and from one to five eggs may be packed 
into this space. Rarely eggs are laid exposed on the grain. Sometimes also 
many eggs are laid in a cluster hidden in the midst of the grains. Eggs may 
be laid in the daytime as well as at night, 
