﻿34 
  PROCEEDITSTtS 
  of 
  the 
  fourth 
  ENT01\10L0GICAL 
  MEETING 
  

  

  Leafbeetles 
  on 
  pepper. 
  (Chrysomelidse.) 
  

   A 
  number 
  of 
  small 
  leafbeetles 
  have 
  been 
  noted 
  on 
  the 
  pepper 
  vines 
  

   biting 
  holes 
  in 
  the 
  leaves 
  in 
  North 
  Malabar. 
  Of 
  these 
  only 
  one, 
  Longit- 
  

   arsus 
  nigripennis, 
  Mot., 
  has 
  been 
  so 
  far 
  noted 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  specific 
  pest 
  of 
  

   pepper, 
  contributing 
  its 
  share 
  in 
  causing 
  " 
  Pollu 
  " 
  disease. 
  Others 
  

   often 
  noted 
  on 
  pepper 
  are 
  (1) 
  Pagria 
  costatipennis, 
  Jac. 
  ; 
  this 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  

   dark 
  coppery-brown 
  insect 
  looking 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  like 
  the 
  grape-vine 
  

   flea-beetle 
  [Scelodonta 
  strigicollis). 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  active 
  and 
  often 
  found 
  

   in 
  numbers 
  on 
  the 
  tender 
  foliage, 
  (2) 
  Neculla 
  pollinaria, 
  Baly 
  ; 
  this 
  insect 
  

   at 
  first 
  sight 
  might 
  be 
  mistaken 
  for 
  a 
  weevil 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Myllocerus. 
  

   It 
  is 
  short, 
  stoutly 
  built 
  and 
  brown 
  in 
  colour 
  ; 
  the 
  whole 
  body 
  is 
  com- 
  

   pletely 
  covered 
  by 
  a 
  thick 
  ashy 
  down 
  which 
  gives 
  it 
  the 
  colour 
  of 
  a 
  

   Myllocerus 
  species. 
  (3) 
  Nisotra 
  madurensis, 
  Jac. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  well 
  known 
  

   insect 
  affecting 
  Hibiscus, 
  Jute, 
  etc., 
  in 
  South 
  India, 
  and 
  has 
  been 
  occa- 
  

   sionally 
  found 
  on 
  pepper 
  in 
  North 
  Malabar, 
  

  

  Lepidoptera. 
  

  

  Asura 
  conferta, 
  Wlk. 
  (Arctiadse.) 
  

   The 
  hairy 
  larva 
  of 
  this 
  moth 
  is 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  domestic 
  pest 
  in 
  the 
  

   villages 
  along 
  the 
  Western 
  Ghats 
  during 
  the 
  months 
  from 
  August 
  to 
  

   October. 
  It 
  is 
  especially 
  found 
  on 
  mossgrown 
  walls 
  and 
  old 
  buildings 
  

   with 
  the 
  roof 
  covered 
  with 
  small 
  country 
  tiles. 
  Often 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  

   drop 
  down 
  into 
  the 
  living 
  apartments 
  of 
  houses 
  and 
  cling 
  to 
  clothing, 
  

   etc. 
  The 
  irritation 
  produced 
  by 
  its 
  contact 
  is 
  pretty 
  severe 
  and 
  the 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  skin 
  gets 
  swollen. 
  Children 
  are 
  often 
  put 
  to 
  great 
  annoyance 
  

   in 
  houses 
  by 
  the 
  contact 
  of 
  these 
  hairy 
  caterpillars. 
  The 
  caterpillar 
  

   which 
  is 
  found 
  feeding 
  on 
  the 
  moss 
  and 
  basking 
  on 
  the 
  tiles 
  during 
  the 
  

   damp 
  steamy 
  weather 
  settles 
  on 
  walls 
  and 
  protected 
  corners 
  inside 
  

   the 
  woodwork 
  of 
  the 
  roofs 
  before 
  pupation. 
  At 
  this 
  stage 
  it 
  makes 
  

   a 
  sort 
  of 
  oval 
  enclosure 
  with 
  its 
  hairs 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  oval 
  area 
  

   it 
  builds 
  the 
  cocoon 
  and 
  changes 
  into 
  the 
  pupa. 
  The 
  adult 
  insect, 
  

   which 
  is 
  a 
  pretty 
  moth, 
  is 
  often 
  seen 
  coming 
  to 
  lights 
  at 
  night. 
  The 
  

   name 
  asura 
  appears 
  very 
  appropriate, 
  at 
  any 
  rate, 
  considering 
  the 
  local 
  

   tradition 
  that 
  this 
  pest 
  generally 
  disappears 
  after 
  the 
  annual 
  festival 
  

   called 
  " 
  asura 
  samhara 
  " 
  (the 
  destruction 
  of 
  asura 
  or 
  demon) 
  in 
  the 
  

   month 
  of 
  November 
  in 
  Palghat, 
  where 
  the 
  insect 
  is 
  found 
  every 
  year. 
  

  

  Pelochyta 
  astrcea, 
  Pr. 
  (Arctiadse.) 
  

   This 
  pretty 
  moth 
  is 
  fairly 
  common 
  in 
  Coimbatore. 
  There 
  is 
  one 
  

   very 
  interesting 
  character 
  in 
  this 
  moth 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  noted 
  and 
  which 
  

  

  