206 Indian Economic Entomology. [Vol. I. 



insects mentioned as pests in Ceylon, and they seem to think thei*e are no distinctive 

 names. I enclose a note on the rice sapper by Mr. Jayawardene : — 



" ' The rice sapper ' (Leptocorisa acuta, or varicornis). 



"'Sinhalese name — goyan messa ; Tamil name — vandu. 



" 'This insect is commonly known in Ceylon as the " paddy fly," but it is a member 

 of the bug family, and possesses the characteristic offensive smell. Perhaps it has 

 gained its Indian name of gandhi on account of this offensive smell. Ganda in 

 Sinhalese too means a bad smell. 



" ' The pest is very destructive to paddy. Sometimes large tracts of fields have to 

 be left without cutting as there is no crop to be gathered, the insects having sucked out 

 the juice while the grains of paddy were still young and leaving the husk dry. On 

 approaching an infested field the presence of the pest may be made out by the offensive 

 smell which prevails. They are found in such numbers in some fields that I have 

 eeen the ears of paddy actually bending under the weight of the insects on them. 



" 'Both the " yala " and " maha " paddy are attacked. The insects were found in a 

 plot of dholl in the school garden sucking the juices from the immature pods. The 

 insects were found paired on the dholl trees, and a female was placed under a bell for 

 observation and laid eggs, but these were very unfortunately destroyed by ants. 



" * There is no doubt that the pest breeds in paddy-fields, as I have observed the 

 insect in all the stages on paddy-plants. An alternative brood is hatched in the 

 jungle when the fields lie fallow. 



" ' Methods employed for destroying the pest. — 1. Charming (!) is resorted to with 

 very great success according to the villagers. Probable explanation of success when 

 such is the case — a change in the weather. High winds and rain drive the pest from 

 the fields to seek shelter in the neighbouring jungles. 



" ' 2. Smoking by burning certain aromatic herbs and resinous substances to wind- 

 ward — very often attended with great success. 



" ' 3. Mopes saturated with resin oil or kerosine oil are drawn over the fields with 

 doubtful success. 



" ' 4. Bokugema, which is the only effectual way of getting rid of the pest. A paddy- 

 winnow is taken and a glutinous substance, generally the coagulated milk of the jak, 

 is rubbed on the inside. This is tied to a long pole and the ears of paddy are brushed 

 with it, when the insects are found adhering in large numbers. The winnow is now 

 held over a fire and the insects killed. The process is repeated over and over again." 



Mr. E. E. Green furnishes the following notes regarding the identi* 



The identification of fication of the species described in the paper by 



Coffee pests in Ceylon. t h e late Mr. fceitner on Coffee pests in Ceylon :— 



Orgyia ceylonica, Neitner, is probably synonymous with Orgyia 



postica of Moore, the larvae of the latter often occurring in large 



numbers upon coffee trees : 

 Trichia exigua of Neituer corresponds to Somena irrorata, Moore, or 



Somena scintillans, Walker : 

 Agrotis segetum of Neitner is probably either Agrotis conspurcata, 



Walker, or Agrotis suffusa, Fabr. ; the true Agrotis segetum not 



having been observed in Ceylon : 



