26 THE JOLA OR DECCAN GRASSHOPPER 
form. In captivity, they were found to feed upon the 
eggs. They could become of real importance in keeping 
the pest in ‘check only if egg-masses were exposed in large 
numbers, something which does not happen under the 
ordinary methods of cultivation. 
Of insects preying upon the Jola Grasshopper, only 
two’ have been discovered up to the present. One of 
these is an unidentified robber fly (Fam. Astlid@) which 
was found capturing the grasshopper nymphs at Honnalt 
in August (see Plate VII, Fig. 8). The other form is a more 
important and interesting species. Only its larval form 
has as yet been discovered. It isone of the blister beetles 
(Fam. Cantharide) but which one it is impossible to say 
until adults have been reared. ‘The larva has been found 
in the egg-masses feeding upon the eges and from the size 
of the larvee already collected and the work they have done 
it seems possible that asingle larva can destroy a number 
of egg-masses. ‘The first specimens of these beetles received 
in this office actually feeding on the eggs were furnished 
by Mr. Y. Ramachandra Rao, Assistant Entomologist, 
Madras Agricultural Department, from material collected 
by him in Bellary District in February 1911. Plate VII, 
Fig. 6 shows one of these larve with its head buried in 
an ege-mass, the eges of which it has almost completely 
devoured, w hile Fig. 7 on the same plate shows the larva 
removed from the egg-mass. Since then, this insect has 
been collected at Harlahalli near Malebennur, Shimoga 
District (on 26th and 27th March 1911) and later near 
Honnali. Previously, in June 1910, what is probably the 
coarctate or resting stage of the same larva was found in 
considerable numbers during ploughing operations in the 
neighbourhood of Honnali. 
This is, as far as I am aware, the first instance in 
India where blister beetle larvee have been found feeding 
on the eggs of grasshoppers in the field. In addition, 
the resting (coarctate) larval stage of a blister beetle 
(probably Mylabris sp.) has been found near ego-masses of 
the Rice Grasshopper in the field and the larve of the 
common blister beetle Mylabris pustulata, have been 
reared to the third instar on grasshopper eggs in the in- 
sectary here. 
iin Sieean, one or ee specimens of a small Peeeane wasp hee ie found in 
eggs of the Jola Grasshopper. 

