rUOCEEDliNGS OF THE THIRD EXTOMOLOCxICAL MEETING 237 



Platypria echidna, Guer. 



Proc. Second Entl. Meeting, p. 77. 



We have this from Matherau, Belgaum, the Nilgiris, and PolHbetta 



(South Coorg). It lives on Eri/thriiui litlwsperma and is a minor pest of 



this, the leaves sometimes being damaged to a considerable extent. 



Platypria hyslrix, Fb. 



South Ind. Ins., p. 316, f. 167 ; Proc. Second Entl. Meeting, 

 pp. 56, 74, 77. 

 We have this from Cahcut and Tanjore. It occurs throughout 

 Southern India as a local and minor jiest of lablab, agatJii and Erythrina. 



Hispa annigera. 

 South Ind. Ins., pp. 315-316, t. 10 ; Proc. Second Entl. Meeting, p. 167. 



Hispa armigera (cenescens) occurs in practically all rice-growing 

 areas in Southern and Eastern India as a serious pest of rice, usually 

 on young rice plants. North Bihar seems about its northern limit, 

 and at Pusa it is sometimes a pest of nurseries. Our records include the 

 following data : — Champaran, on rice ; Pusa, usualh* in small numbers, 

 occasionally destructive to seedling rice-plants ; Kidderpur ; Midnapnr ; 

 Noakhali, on rice, 11th September 1913 ; Harra (Bankura), breeding 

 in a((s paddy leaves, July 1917 ; Bakerganj (Bengal), on paddy in numbers, 

 September 1905 ; Sylhet, on paddy, 10th June 1912 ; Cuttack, occasionally 

 serious ; Ellore ; Salem, on paddy ; South Kanara, on paddy ; Lonavla 

 (Bombay), on rice. 



The hfe-history is known and the niain difficulty in control is the 

 sporadic manner in which this pest usually appears in destructive numbers. 

 Collection of the beetles in hand-nets has been found useful in Madras, 

 and perhaps oiling of the water and dipping the plants by dragging a 

 rope over them might be useful in the case of seed-beds. 



Can anyone give us an account of practical experience in control 

 measures ? 



Cutting off the tips of the plants is effective. When the pest appears Mr. Ramrao. 

 in large numbers, cutting the tips off the plants reduces the pest con- 

 siderably, but this must be done before the flowering shoot comes up. 



In Madras it is the custom to bundle the seedlings together and to Mr. Ramakrishna 

 cut off the tops whether the beetles are present or not. We tried this Ayyar. 

 and found it successful. 



In Travancore we tried hand-netting. If this is done twice or thrice Mr. Pillay. 

 after the rains it is successful. Eain is essential for hand-netting, because 



