I'KOCEEDIXGS OF THE TIIIKD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 125 



the 14th April 1908, I made a note to this effect in my note-book 

 thus : — 



14th April 1908. — Egg-laying sparse, not many imagines are to be 

 seen on the leaves. The past hot days seem to have had a 

 deterrent effect on egglaying. Yesterday the temperature 

 was 109-7 with strong, hot winds and a large number of nymphs 



were seen shrivelled up on the leaves 



Again on the 12th May 1908, I noted :— 



Eggs freshly laid with nymphs of II, III and IV instars on 



the leaves. The number" of eggs on the leaves extremely 

 small. The past hot days seem to have had a deterrent eff'ect 

 on the growth of the nymphs, and a number of them are to be 

 seen shrivelled up or looking unhealthy 



Last year I tried to work out the life-history of the species to find 

 out the time taken for a complete cycle during the winter and with this 

 object found adults in the fields which when confined laid eggs. These 

 hatched and the nymphs were progressing healthily when the plant on 

 which they were breeding was found to have been affected with borers 

 and withered prematurely. In the fields adults are plentiful in the 

 beginning of December when eggs are laid. They,, however, become 

 scarce during January, again appearing by the beginning of February 

 at Pusa. 



Parasites and Predators. 



I have not hitherto found any parasites on the eggs or on the adults. 

 The nymphs and the puparia are parasitized heavily by three species 

 of Chalcididse noted up to this time. It is possible there are many 

 more which have not been noted as yet. The puparia seem to be 

 affected more than the nymphs, and the parasitization seems to reach 

 its maximum by the middle of December. Last year we have had a 

 few countings made with the following results : — 



No. of nymphs and puparia on leaves i o. parasi- , Percentage 



tized 



3rd December 1918, 397 (one leaf) . 

 5th December 1918, 1-46 (one leaf) . 

 12th December 1918, 46.5 (one leaf) . 

 14th December 1918, 228 (one leaf ) . 



