[ 690 I 



crops, we, in Lower Bengal, have so far noticed them only 

 as a very destructive garden pest, defoliating every rose bush 

 and other plants in the hot weather. By proper cultivation, 

 the pest can be kept off from plantations, but if they come 

 from uncultivated tracts in the neighbourhood of a plantation, 

 it is very difficult to deal with them. Cockchafer larvae have 

 been reported from Chittagong as destroying paddy and 

 maize crops, and it cannot be said that there is no danger 

 from this source in localities where uncultivated tracts abound. 

 The fungus (Botrytis tenella) which causes one of the 

 diseases of silkworms known as muscardine, or chuna-kete t 

 is said to be destructive to the larvae of Melolonthini also. 

 Silkworms affected with this disease may be dried in the shade, 

 powdered and the powder may be applied to roots and leaves 

 of rose and other bushes attacked by cockchafers. 



1.200. Of the larvae of beetles which destroy crops proper % 

 very few have been noticed, besides the Chrysolmelid beetles, 

 Hispa aenescens (Fig. 66 f) and Aulacophora abdominalis 

 (Fig. 66 g) which will be separately dealt with in the next 

 chapter. A large sized Cantharidae beetle (kdnch-pokd), 

 Mylabris pustulata, is destructive to groundnut and arahar. 

 A Chrysomelid beetle (Haltica nigrofusca) is said to attack 

 the leaves of garden vegetables in the Himalayas. It has 

 been also noticed defoliating indigo plants in Rangpore. 

 Besides Hispa aenescens there is Chaetocnemis basalis (Fig. 

 66 z), another of the Chrysomelidae, which is said to destroy 

 paddy seedling. A little flat beetle (Opatrum depressum) 

 belonging to the family Tenebrionidae attacks linseed and 

 wheat plants (Fig. 66 h). 



1.201. Lepidoptera. These include butterflies and 

 moths. The four wings are covered with imbricated scales. 

 The maxillae are developed to an extraordinary degree forming 

 a long coiled proboscis or tube with which the insect sucks up 

 honey from plants. The larvae as well as imagoes are usually 

 brilliantly coloured. The larvae eat up a great quantity of 



