No. 6. ] A Conspectus of Insects, 161 



128. Agrotis SEGETUM SchifE. (Noctuidse). — A smooth earth-coloured 

 caterpillar, which does a g-ood deal of damag-e in coffee estates in South- 

 ern India and ('eylon by Liiin<^ off the young coffee {Coffea arabica) 

 plants close to the ground. It is known by coffee-planters as the ringer. 

 In India it is believed to be confined to comparatively high elevations, 

 snch as the Himalayas and the Nilgiris. It is well known in Europe as 

 a destructive Cut worm to many crops. 



129. Agrotis suffusa Fabr. (Noctuidse). — The caterpillar of this 

 cosmopolitan moth does a great deal of damage in India by biting off 

 young plants of all kinds close to the ground. It has been reported as 

 follows: — (1) attacking young opium [Fapaver somniferum) plants: in 

 this connection it is said to ^be known in Ghazipur as kerouna, in 

 Fatehgarh as suree^ and in Behar as htmivah ; (2) attacking young tea 

 [Camellia theifero) plants in Ceylon ; (3) attacking potato {Sotunum 

 tnberosutn) plants in Kurseong ; (4) attacking such rabi crops as mustard 

 {Brassica) and linseed [Linum usitatissimum) in Jessore ; (5) attacking 

 youno- plants of wheat {Triticum sativiim) , barley [Hordeum vtilgare), 

 gram [cicei- arietrimm) , oats [Avena saliva), and peas [Pisum sativum), in 

 Murshidabad and Tipperah : (6) attacking the leguminous plant 

 Lathp'us sativus in Patna. When full grown, the caterpillars are 

 smooth earth-coloured grubs, about a couple of inches in length and as 

 thick as lead pencils ; they are to be found in holes in ,the fields they 

 frequent. 



130. Ochropleura flammatra Linn. (Noctuidse). — The caterpillars 

 of this moth are much like tliose 'of ^^fo/25 suffusa', they have been 

 reported as attacking opium [Papaver somniferum) plants in the same 



manner. 



131. 'Flusia nigrisigna ? Walker (Plusiidse). — Said to attack the gram 



plant [Cicer arietimm) in Patna. 



132. Undetermined Noclttes scaterpillars have been reported as fol- 

 lows : (1) boring into the seeds of the Tur plant [Cajanus indicus) in 



Nao-pur; {%) doing much'damage to rabi crops in Orissa, where they are 

 known as Jcala mmdi ; injurious to crops in Tipperah (Bengal), where 

 they are known as leda poJca ; (4) attacking red gram and country 

 beans (Leo-uminosse) in Ganjam, where they are known as kandula 

 ptirtigu ox penki purugu: (5) attacking paddy {Oryza saliva) in South 

 Arcot ; (6) attacking such rabi crops as mustard {Brassica), barley 

 [Hordeum vtdgare), safflower [Carlliamis tinctorius), and wheat [Triticum 

 sativum) in Budaon ; (7) cutting off potato plants in Rajshahye^ (8) 

 defoliating teak [Tectona'grandis) trees in Midnapore ; (9) injuring jute 

 [Corchorus) plants in Maldah, 



