HELOPELTIS. 441 



with a subapical transverse fascia and the basal area shining 

 black ; scutellum ochraceous, more or less suffused with black, the 

 horn long, black, piceous at apex ; antennae dark brown, basal 

 joint paler, yellowish at base ; femora dark brown, mottled with 

 ochraceous, and with a distinct pale annulation near base ; tibisc 

 ochraceous, speckled with fuscous ; head beneath with a lateral 

 luteous fascia on each side, more obscurely seen above ; abdomen 

 pale creaniy-ochraceous, the apical third black. 



Length G to 7 miliim. 



Hdh. Assam {Brit. Mus.). Kangra Valley {Dudgeon). 



The late Mr. Peal, of Assam, writing on this insect (Journ. Agri. 

 Hort. Soc. Ind. iv, p, 131, 1872), said: — "There can be no doubt 

 that this insect will be the future tea-planter's great enemy, if 

 it does not seriously cripple the industry."' When this insect is 

 badly prevalent, gardens otherwise quite capable of yielding 1000 

 maunds may have their crops reduced to 700 or 800. Mr. Atkinson 

 was informed that these insects commence to tap the tea-plant in 

 Eebruary, and go on till the end of August (Ind. Mus. Notes, i, 

 p. 180).' Mr. E. C. Cotes, on the authority of Mr. C. jN". Harcourt, 

 states that the species injures tea both in spring and also during 

 September ; it attacks chiefly the young tea shoots, also fuchsias, 

 and a tree {Schima walUchii) know-n locally as chilauni, which is 

 botanically allied to the tea-plant (ibid, ii, p. 43). Mr. Dudgeon 

 has observed and described the oviposition of i/. theivora. Nine 

 or ten eggs are generally found in the body of a mature female, 

 as, owing to their large size in comparison with the insect itself, 

 there would scarcely be room for more. It is possible that more 

 eggs are formed as they are laid {ibid, iii (v) p. 35). 



1395. Helopeltis oryx, sp. u. 



2 . Shining, obscure sanguineous ; head, antenna>, rostrum, 

 anterior transverse constriction to pronotum, scutellar horn, apical 

 third of abdomen, above and beneath, and legs black ; base of first 

 joint of antennae, about basal half of rostrum, and bases of femora 

 obscure sanguineous ; corium and cuneus pale talc-like with 

 an ochraceous tinge, the extreme margins piceous ; membrane 

 very pale fuliginous, the venation piceous ; scutellar horn directed 

 almost horizontally backward to the body, and extending over 

 basal two-thirds of abdomen. 



Length, 9 , 6| miliim. 



Hub. Ceylon; Kandy (6rVee«)' 



I have only seen a female specimen of this species, which has 

 a very distinctive character in the length and direction of the 

 scutellar horn. 



