720 PEOCEEDIXGS OF TPIE THIED ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



Sitotroga cerealella. (Plate 106, fig. 2.) 

 The small moth, Sitotroga cerealella, (known as surwi in the Western 

 parts of Bengal) causes considerable damage to paddy, wheat, barley, 

 maize, and juar {Andropogon sorghum) grains in the store. It is known 

 as the Angoumois Grain Moth in other countries, or as " fly-weevil " 

 in America. In some countries it is known to infest the grains in the 

 field. R. I. Smith gives two photographs of maize cobs infested by it 

 in the field in October-November {North Carolina Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station Bull. 203 (1909), pp. 14-17). A. L. Quaintance records the 

 same fact observed in Florida {Florida Ag. Exp. Stn. Bull. No. 36, 1896). 

 In this country it has not been observed to attack grains in the fields. 

 Even if it does so, it must be so rarely that no notice is taken. The 

 damage it does is confined to the store. When the grain lies exposed 

 or is kept in receptacles not full it literally swarms with this insect and 

 the damage is very considerable. 



The insect is active practically throughout the year, fresh genera- 

 tions occurring in the ordinary season after about a month. In the 

 cold weather its acliivity is less, December and January being a short 

 period of rest. Each female moth is capable of laying up to about 

 120 eggS which are deposited in depressions, cracks, crevices, or holes 

 in the grains or among the grains in the heap. The egg hatches in about 

 6 days. The young caterpillars bore into the grains and consume the 

 farinaceous matter and when full-grown, in the course of about a fort- 

 night, pupate inside the grains, emerging as moths after another week. 



The Pulse Beetles (Bruchidse). 

 The pulse beetles have not yet been fully worked out. It is not 

 known how many species of them there are in all in this country. Of 

 the known ones again the life-history and habits of only a few have 

 been fully observed. As regards their known habits they can be grouped 

 as follows : — 



(a) Some work only in the store, attacking and breeding in stored 



seeds. 

 (6) Some work both in the field and in the store. They infest the 

 seeds while still green in the pods on the plants growing in 

 the fields. With the harvested seeds they find their way into 

 the store where they continue damaging the dry seeds. On 

 account of the altered conditions in the store the damage 

 and consequent loss are considerably more than in the 

 fields. These beetles are, of course, capable of invading fresh 

 stores and attacking fresh seeds which may be harvested in 

 an unaffected condition. 



