Yol. II. ] [ No. 6. 



A CONSPECTUS OP THE INSECTS WHICH AFFECT CROPS 



IN INDIA(i). 



[_lf,B. — In the following conspectus the words large, small, minute, etc., as applied to 

 insects, are merely intended to indicate their relative size as compared with other 

 species in the same order.] 



The followiug conspectus, which has beeu drawn up by the direction 

 of the Trustees of the Indian Museum on the 



Contents. . c ,, o i. £■ t t 



suggestion or the Government of India, com- 

 prises tlie insects and mites which have, up to the present, been noted as 

 attacking crops in India. To complete the subject the parasitic species 

 have been included, as some of them are of great importance to Indian 

 agriculture, on account of the wonderful effect which they liave in keepiuo- 

 down injurious insects. The list is as complete as it has been possible to 

 make it in tlie present state of information on the subject, but much of it 

 will no doubt require modiiication, and a large number of additions will 

 have to be made when further investigation comes to be instituted in the 

 field. The species have been arranged in the first instance in zoological 

 order, so that the ones which are related to each other in structure and 

 habits may be placed side by side. In accordance with a suggestion 

 made by the Government of India, tables have beeu added in which the 

 primary ai-rangement is accorded to the plants and other products 

 attacked by the insects. These tables are divided under the headings 

 of — I, Agricultural plants and produce; II, Forest and fruit-trees and 

 their produce ; III, Miscellaneous. They are likely to prove useful for 

 purposes of reference, but it should be noticed that they are necessarily 

 very incomplete; for what is at present known on the subject of 

 insect pests in India is chiefly derived from the reports and specimens 

 that have been sent to the Indian Museum by people who, with few 

 exceptions, have no special knowledge of entomology. The chief object 

 of the senders, in the great majority of eases, has been merely to learn 

 the name of the insect and to secure any information that niight be 

 forthcoming in the Museum on the subject of the best practical methods 

 of dealing with it. Except, therefore, in cases where subsequent attacks 

 of other crops, by similar insects, have happened to offer special features 

 of fresh interest, the information received has generally related to the 

 attack of the crop on which the insect was first noticed. The result 

 is that, wliile the conspectus will probably be found to contain references 

 to the majority of the insects which have lately proved destructive to 



(') Help with the hotiiuical niiines of the plants referred to in this paper has been moat 

 kiiidl.v aCforde.l by Mr., J. V, DutUie, Director of the liotiiniciil Department, Northern India 



17/^ 



hS 



