328 rEOCEEDIXGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



our information regarding these forms may be kept as up-to-date as 



This paper forms quite a useful supplement to my book on South 

 Indian Insects, which, as I noted at the time, was only to be taken as an 

 incomplete and prehnunary introduction to the study of the insect pests 

 of Southern India. I hope that the Madras Department will give us a 

 further interesting supplement at the nest Meeting. 



4._N0TE ON THE MOEE IMPOETANT INSECT PESTS OF 

 PLANTING DISTEICTS OF SOUTH INDIA AND THE 

 METHODS OF CONTEOL USED, 1917-18. 



By EuDOLPH D. Anstead, M.A., Deputy Director of Agricultiire, Planting 

 Districts. 



The author of this Note is in no sense of the term an Entomologist 

 and the Note is merely intended to be an indication of the methods 

 adopted on estates in Southern India to control some of the more import- 

 f ant insect pests. From this point of view it is hoped that it may be of 

 interest to the members of the Entomological Meeting, but the author 

 is seeking for information rather than trying to impart it. 



Coffee. 



Coccus viridis. A Bulletin on the subject has been published by 

 Coleman and Kannan (Mysore Department of Agriculture, Entomological 

 Series, No. 4, 1918). The form of this scale-insect which occurs in Mysore 

 is considered to be a new species and has been named Coccus colemani. 



Certain species of Ants — Cremastogaster sp. and Plagiolepis longipes 

 — are found to play an important role in the distribution of the scale. 

 Nests of Cremastogaster on coffee estates are found crowded with scales 

 in September and it is found that if the ants' nests are removed the 

 infection of the trees is considerably diminished. In fact, the destruc- 

 tion of ants' nests has now become part of the regular control measures 

 adopted on estates. 



The most important natural checks of the scale are two species of 

 fungi, Cephalosporium lecanii, which frequently kills off more than 

 90 per cent, of the scales in cofiee estates during wet weather, and Empusa 

 lecanii. which is usually found attacking the scale during the early part 

 of the cold weather. 



The pest is most troublesome in years when the North-East monsoon 

 is scanty and a long period of dry weather succeeds it. Dispersion is 

 largely efiected by wind, the young scale insects being blown as far as 



