12 The Tea insects of India; 



moths reared in the Indian Museum from caterpillars forwarded from 

 Diirrang- in January 1891. In Durrang^ the caterpillars were reported 

 as having- defoliated tea bushes and when fall grown descended to the 

 ground to pupate. Children had been employed to hand-pick the cater- 

 pillars, but the insect had proved too numerous to be dealt with success- 

 fully in this way. Some difficulty also was experienced in hand-picking 

 owing to the stinging spines with which the caterpillars were armed. 



The figure shows the male, female moths^ also the empty pupal case, 

 all natural size, drawn from specimens reared in the Indian Museum. 

 The pupal case is depicted with the upper portion pushed up, like an 

 open lid, as it appears after the moth has emerged. 



With regard to the times of emergence, all that has yet beeu 

 observed is as follows: — Full-grown caterpillars, sent to the Indian 

 Museum from Durrang in January, transformed into pupse the same 

 month, moths emerging on 26th January. Erom its activity in the 

 coldest month of the year and the short period spent in the pupal stage, 

 the insect would seem likely to pass through a number of generations in 

 the year, but more extended observations are required. 



Parasa lepida, Moore. This species has been recorded by Green as 

 attacking tea in Ceylon. It has previously been noticed, under the 

 name Limacodes graciosa, by Nietner as defoliating coffee bushes in 

 the same island. It has also been reared in the Indian Museum from 

 caterpillars found feeding upon mulberry leaves in Calcutta. The 

 Museum further possesses specimens from Ranchi. The insect has also 

 been recorded from Java, so is probably widely distributed. 



In the case of the specimens reared in the Indian Museum, the cater- 

 pillars were found in September, but the moth did not emerge until 

 June in the following year, the intervening eight months being spent 

 in the pupal case. This long period of hybernation does not appear to be 

 an invariable feature of the life-history of the species, for Nietner^ 

 writing in connection with Ceylon, observes ''the chrysalis rests from 



