-430 1 KOCEEDINGS Oi- THE THIKD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETIN'G 



In another case, a cycle was found to last for 22 days in June 1914. 

 The adults on emergence move about slowly on the leaves, at times 

 flapping their wings. They couple end to end and the copulation was 

 noticed to last for four or five minutes only. The female after laying 

 eggs becomes sluggish and in a case under observation was found to 

 rest at the base of a leaf on which she had laid eggs. 



The grubs and adults of Scymnus sp. devour the eggs, nymphs and 

 adults of the mealy-wing. The eggs of the beetle were seen laid in the 

 midst of eggmasses of the mealy-wing. Each egg is elongate, elliptical, 

 pointed at one end and broad at the other. The tiny grub that hatches 

 out is pale-yellow, distinctly segmented with hairs laterally. It moves 

 under the eggs feeling the peduncles which may be seen to shake when 

 an affected egg-cluster is seen under the microscope. The grub stations 

 itS'l If below the egg and gnaws its base with its strong mandibles. Having 

 eaten one it moves on to another. It also devours the nymphs as well 

 as the adults. In confinement they showed carnivorous tendencies as 

 the stronger ones killed and devoured the weaker ones. In several 

 cases the grubs were seen to kill .more adult mealy-wings than they 

 ate actually. The grubs when about to pupate become stationary and 

 pupate on the leaf with the exuvium attached to their hind ends. A 

 grub pupated on 13th September 1913 and the adult emerged on the 

 19th September 1913. Besides Scymnus sp., the puparia were found 

 parasitized by a pale yellow Chalcidid, although the number was not 

 very large. 



The adults are abundant in some years though not so in others. 

 During the past thirteen years I have come across large numbers of 

 them during 1907, 1911, 1913, 1914, and 1915. During January 1914 

 the adults were so numerous on the leaves that they appeared black 

 from a distance. 



This mealy-wing is not a serious pest of sugarcane, but appears 

 sporadically and may then be seen on the leaves along with A. barodensis. 

 In Java it is found along with A. ladinea, which I have not hitherto 

 found m this country. 



No measure need be taken against this mealy-wing. If at all 

 numerous, the collection and destruction of eggmasses could be easily 

 effected as they are very prominent on the leaves. 



Besides Pusa, specimens have also been received from Nagpur 

 in the Central Provinces. It also occurs on cane in South India. In 

 the Central Provinces the species has been found to occur on jiiar both 

 at Nagpur and Tbarsa. (Plates 7.5, 76.) 



