﻿288 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  FOUllTH 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  MEETING 
  

  

  grown 
  larva, 
  and 
  thus 
  keep 
  the 
  pupa 
  inside 
  the 
  leaf 
  -fold. 
  The 
  pupal 
  

   stage 
  lasts 
  for 
  about 
  8 
  to 
  9 
  days. 
  

  

  Pupated 
  24-i-14 
  26-i-14 
  14-ii-15 
  

  

  Emerged 
  l'ii-14 
  3-ii-14 
  21-ii-15 
  

  

  The 
  spread 
  of 
  Gracillaria 
  soyella, 
  van 
  Dev., 
  in 
  Tur 
  fields, 
  is 
  controlled 
  

   by 
  a 
  small 
  Chalcidid 
  parasite, 
  Asympiesiella 
  india, 
  Girault, 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  

   tiny 
  insect, 
  measuring 
  only 
  2 
  to 
  4 
  mm. 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  beautifully 
  

   metallic 
  green 
  body. 
  The 
  male 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  quite 
  distinct 
  from 
  

   the 
  female 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  easily 
  distinguished 
  by 
  its 
  flabellate 
  antennae 
  

   and 
  short 
  abdomen 
  (Figs. 
  5 
  and 
  6). 
  The 
  abdomen 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  is 
  very 
  

   long 
  and 
  slender, 
  tapering 
  almost 
  to 
  a 
  point, 
  and 
  the 
  antennae 
  simple 
  

   (Fig. 
  4). 
  

  

  The 
  caterpillar 
  of 
  Gracillaria 
  soyella 
  secures 
  itself 
  completely 
  inside 
  

   the 
  fold 
  of 
  a 
  Tur 
  leaf. 
  The 
  folded 
  part 
  is 
  very 
  well 
  " 
  glued 
  " 
  from 
  

   all 
  sides 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  salivary 
  threads 
  (fig. 
  1) 
  but 
  the 
  sharp, 
  long, 
  

   and 
  thin 
  abdomen 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  parasite 
  finds 
  an 
  easy 
  entrance 
  into 
  

   the 
  fold. 
  The 
  caterpillar 
  is 
  felt 
  by 
  moving 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen 
  

   inside 
  the 
  fold, 
  and 
  when 
  got 
  at 
  is 
  stung 
  to 
  death 
  ; 
  all 
  the 
  parasitized 
  

   caterpillars 
  have 
  invariably 
  been 
  found 
  lifeless. 
  

  

  The 
  egg 
  has 
  never 
  been 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  caterpillar, 
  but 
  

   on 
  four 
  different 
  occasions 
  it 
  was 
  discovered 
  in 
  the 
  delicate 
  silk 
  webbing 
  

   spun 
  by 
  the 
  caterpillar 
  while 
  cementing 
  together 
  the 
  folds 
  of 
  a 
  leaf 
  

   (Fig. 
  1). 
  And 
  out 
  of 
  these 
  four 
  occasions 
  only 
  once 
  I 
  succeeded 
  in 
  

   rearing 
  the 
  egg 
  to 
  the 
  adult 
  stage. 
  

  

  The 
  larva 
  is 
  a 
  voracious 
  feeder, 
  and 
  is 
  always 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  

   of 
  the 
  host 
  caterpillar 
  feeding 
  from 
  outside 
  (Fig. 
  2). 
  Within 
  two 
  days 
  

   after 
  hatching 
  it 
  consumes 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  caterpillar, 
  leaving 
  nothing 
  

   but 
  the 
  integument, 
  and 
  attains 
  its 
  full 
  size. 
  On 
  the 
  fourth 
  day 
  the 
  

   excreta 
  are 
  discharged 
  and 
  the 
  larva 
  becomes 
  quiescent. 
  A 
  little 
  

   diminution 
  in 
  size 
  occurs, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  following 
  day 
  the 
  larval 
  skin 
  is 
  

   cast 
  off, 
  exposing 
  the 
  pupa 
  (fig. 
  3). 
  The 
  pupa 
  lies 
  naked 
  in 
  the 
  fold 
  

   {i.e., 
  the 
  larva 
  does 
  not 
  spin 
  any 
  cocoon) 
  ; 
  the 
  tail-end 
  remains 
  attached 
  

   to 
  the 
  leaf. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  seventh 
  day 
  after 
  pupation 
  the 
  adult 
  parasite 
  emerges, 
  

   cutting 
  a 
  hole 
  in 
  the 
  leaf 
  fold. 
  From 
  the 
  egg 
  to 
  imago, 
  it 
  takes 
  about 
  

   13 
  days 
  or 
  two 
  weeks, 
  in 
  January 
  and 
  February. 
  

  

  A 
  freshly-hatched 
  larva 
  is 
  almost 
  colourless 
  and 
  measures 
  0-68 
  

   mm. 
  long 
  and 
  0-16 
  mm. 
  broad. 
  The 
  head 
  is 
  the 
  broadest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   body 
  ; 
  the 
  segments 
  are 
  quite 
  distinct 
  and 
  the 
  body 
  laterally 
  faintly 
  

   indented. 
  Two 
  days' 
  old 
  larvae 
  were 
  measured 
  and 
  were 
  found 
  to 
  

  

  