The Tea insects of India. 



13 



the middle of August to the middle of October/' A probable supposi- 

 tion is that the insect passes through several generations in the year, 

 the length of time spent in the chrysalis stage being liable to protraction 

 when warmth or moisture, or both, are deficient. 



The fact that Nietner only records the presence of the caterpillars 

 upon Ceylon coffee bushes between the months of June and August 

 points to the possibility of at least occasional hybernation even in that 

 island. 



The figure above, which is after Moore, represents the male and female 

 moth, also the caterpillar, all natural size. The moths are brownish in 

 colour with bright green markings. The caterpillar is greenish witii 

 mauve stripes ; the sting which its spines are capable of inflicting is 

 described by Green as rather more intense than that of the common 

 nettle. The cocoon is purplish in colour and is usually attached to the 

 plant. Green describes the eggs as oval and almost transparent; he 

 found them in masses of from fifteen to twenty on the back of the leaf, 

 overlapping each other like the scales of a fish. 



PsYCHiD35 — {B<tg worms). 



Several species of Psychidse attack tea. The caterpillars, which are 

 popularly known as " bag worms,^' may be recognised by the curious 

 little eases of sticks or leaves which they carry about upon their backs. 

 They injure the tea plant by eating up the foliage. The caterpillar 

 enlarges its ease from time to time as it grows bigger. When full 

 grown it fastens its case with silken strands on to some twig or leaf. It 

 then closes up the entrance in front and, after turning completely round 

 upon itself inside the case, so that its head comes where its tail had pre- 

 viously lain, it moults its skin for the last time and transforms into a 

 pupa (=chrysalis). After resting for a while, the pupa, which is armed 



