gf Indian Economic Entomologi/. [ Yol, H 



Body dark cinereous brown ; head^ thorax, palpi, antennae, fore and middle legs ferru- 

 ginous brown ; hind legs pale cinereous brown. 



" Expanse of wings ^ 1, $ 1^ inch. Habitat. — Perak." 



The following' is Mr. Wray^s summary of his report upon the sub- 

 ject :— 



" At the request of the British Resident of Perak, I made an enquiry into tbe cause 

 of the destruction of all the pomelo fruit grown in the Residency gardens at Kwala 

 Kangsa, and have ascertained, from actual observations and breeding experiments, 

 thiit it is primarily to the attacks of the caterpillass of a small moth that the loss is 

 due, 



"The life-history of this insect is, as far as I have been able to observe it, as 

 follows :— 



" The eggs are laid singly and in small iiTegular patches on the lower side of the 

 fruit, and when they hatch out, the young caterpillars eat their way into the fruit, 

 making a number of minute holes through the rind, generally over an area of about 

 the size of a shilling. The pith under this patch is riddled with holes, and gum is 

 often subsequently found, both in the cavities of the rind, and also on the outside of 

 the fruit. 



" As the caterpillars increase in size, they eat their way through and through the 

 fruit, and make holes through the rind to eject refuse, and also possibly to obtain air. 

 To these holes uneatable portions of the fruit and fgecal pellets are carried by the 

 caterpillars and ejected. 



" The caterpillars, which are active, quick-moving insects, jump and twist when 

 touched, and, for caterpillars, can progress with considerable speed. On arriving at 

 maturity they leave the fruit, and, descending to the ground bury themselves in 

 the earth to undergo the change into the pupa state ; the caterpillars make in the earth 

 cells of agglutinated earth, lined witb white silk ; they measure 0*7 inch in length, 

 0"4 inch in breadth, and 0'3 incb in depth. 



" On the twelfth day after quitting the fru:t, the transformation is complete, and 

 the moth forces its way through the cell and up out of the earth. 



" The perfect insect is about an inch across the wings, and of a warm brown colour, 

 with shadings of silvery grey. In the day-time it is very quiet and sits usually on 

 the earth of the breeding cages, the head and forepart of the body being much raised, 

 and the autennse laid back on the wings, which are closed and folded closely over tlie 

 body. When in this position, it is a very inconspicuous object, both as regards colour 

 and form. At night it seems to be lively and is possessed of fairly good powers of 

 flight. 



" The first four moths I raised all died in a little over two days, and thougii they 

 consisted of two of each sex, no eggs were laid. On dissection of the females I found 

 the eggs to be immature and few in number, and deduced from their state that the 

 insect does not deposit its eggs until some days after leaving the chrysalis and that 

 during that time it needs food to enable it to perpetuate its species. 



" With tlie next brood of moths I put various fruits, but none of these seemed to 

 their taste, for, though they lived for five or six days, and laid a few eggs, none of 

 these proved fertile. lu all I raised over thirty of these insects without getting one 

 egg that would hatch. 



" It seems quite possible that, as the fruit on which they feed during the caterpillar 

 stage is seasonal and that there are periods of months at a time during which no food 

 is available that the moths are long-lived, and until their natural food during the 

 imago portion of their lives is discovered, attempts at artificial breeding will be un- 

 successful. 



"Egg. — Oval, dirty white, translucent, with fine raised, irregular network cove ring 



