666 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



The caterpillar is usually found in February or Marcli, and the moth 

 in March or May. This insect is probably not an important pest of 

 the tea-plant. 



^V^o. 44. — Andraca bijnmctata, Walk. (Fidaten-Kagiba.) 



This is a well-known tea-pest noticed early in this country, attention 

 having been drawn to it by an old Chinese Governor in the year 1820 

 but my description of its depredations in the Report of Agricultural 

 Exferitnent Station of Formosan Government, Vol. I, under the name 

 Hyfsomadius sp., as named by Prof. Matsumura, is the first detailed 

 account of its ravages. After careful studies I found that this species 

 belongs to the Family Bombycida and that it is probably Andraca 

 bipunctata. Six (three males and three females) Indian specimens of 

 the latter presented by the Imperial Entomologist quite agree with 

 our species, and I have determined it as the above. 



It is a very widespread tea-pest found in practically every garden 

 throughout the tea-districts, and is becoming really most serious in 

 the Northern half of the Island. In Taihoku- and Toyen-Choes it is 

 very common, and recently Mr. J. Sonan has found it at Kusukusu 

 in Ako-Cho, feeding on Cleyera ochracea, Eurya sp., and Melastoma 

 candidum. 



The eggs are laid on the underside of the leaf, and these are arranged 

 very methodically in a mass in a single layer (about 15 — 72). The 

 number of egg-masses deposited by a single female is from about one 

 to three, and the total number of eggs is 50 to 150. In 8 — 10 days 

 the eggs hatch and the caterpillars take about 21 — 61 days to reach 

 maturity. This insect has three generations per annum, but it is most 

 prevalent in May, June, and July. The caterpillars almost always 

 live in a compact mass during the day-time, if they are young resting 

 on the underside of leaf, and when they become larger on the twig ; 

 they feed at night and very often strip the bushes over a large patch 

 of plantation before the morning (leaving nothing but hard stalks). 

 Although the tea-bushes are severely attacked by this pest through the 

 season, in the next year there come slight crops from such a garden ; 

 but if the same garden is damaged by it for two years the bushes almost 

 always begin to wither. The abundant occurrence of this pest is a 

 rather permanent character up to the present time in Formosa, and the 

 natives are generally used to collect and destroy the caterpillars as a 

 remedy. 



J 



