467 ) 



XVII. Sovie ohservations on the tea-hugs (Helopeltis) of 

 India and Java. By Charles 0. Waterhouse. 



I Read October 6th, 1886.] 



Plate XI. 



Some short time since Mr. H. B. Brady presented to the 

 British Museum a series of specimens of Helopeltis, 

 named Helopeltis Antonii, Sign., which had been doing 

 much mischief in the Cinchona i^lantations in Java, and 

 had been the subject of a papier in the * Pharmaceutical 

 Journal ' (December, 1885). The species was supposed 

 to be the Ceylonese tea-bug, and to have been imported 

 into Java. I noticed, however, at the time that the 

 specimens did not quite agree with the figure of H. 

 Antonii given in the * Annales de la Soc. Ent. de France ' 

 (1858, pi. 12, f. 2), but I was not able to decide as to 

 the identity of the species, never having seen specimens 

 from Ceylon. I am glad to say that Dr. Trimen, who is 

 at present on a visit to England, brought with him a 

 number of specimens of the Ceylonese tea-bug, and, 

 having presented some examples to the British Museum, 

 I am able to say that they are distinct from those 

 received from Java. Mr. F. Moore has kindly lent me 

 a specimen of a third species, the Assamese tea-bug, to 

 which he gave the name Helopeltis theivora. The de- 

 scription of this species does not appear ever to have 

 been published. 



In the ' Gardeners' Chronicle ' for April, 1874, p. 475, 

 there is an article by Prof. Westwood, describing the 

 tea-bug of Java; it is called Helopeltis Antonii, and is 

 supposed to have been introduced from Ceylon. 



Whether the specimens from the tea-plants in Java 

 are the same species as those which attack the Cinchona 

 I am not at present able to say; but, from a note which 

 I have received from Prof. Westwood, they appear to be 

 distinct. 



The following descriptions will, I hope, serve to dis- 

 tinguish the three species: — 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1886. PART IV. (DEC.) 



