THE TEA IKSECTS OF INDIA. 



INSECTA. 



COLEOPTEHA. 



Melolonthini. 



Lachnosterna impressa, Burma — ( = White grub). The 

 larva {i.e. immature form) of this insect is the soft, white, curved grub 

 shown in the left hand bottom figure. In 1891 it appeared in vast 

 numbers in some of the Darjiling tea gardens, and made great havoc 

 among young tea plants. In one garden it is reported {vide Indian 

 Museum Notes, Vol. Ill, page 3) to have practically destroyed 100 

 acres of young tea as fast as it was planted. Its prevalence in other 

 years is shown by the fact that in 1883 no less than 2,695,000 in- 

 dividuals were collected and destroyed in the public gardens, Darjiling, 

 alone {vide Indian Museum Notes, Vol. I, page 59). 



From what is known in connection with the habits of insects of the 

 same sub-family in other parts of the world we can be practically cer- 

 tain that the life-history of Lachnosterna im'gressa is somewhat as 

 folio ws : — • 



The beetle, a brown insect, depicted natural size in the upper part 

 of the block, mates with another individual of the opposite sex, but other' 

 wise almost exactly like itself. The female shortly afterwards lays 



