14 



The Tea insects of India. 



with curious backward set spines for the purpose, works for itself an 

 opening in tiie loose end of the ease. The pupal skin then cracks and 

 the sexually mature insect emerges. The female is a degraded winoless 

 grub which never quits the case. The male is an active winged moth 

 which flies rapidly about and mates with the female as she lies inside 

 the case. After mating, the male dies and the female proceeds to lay 

 her numerous eggs inside the case. 



The treatment that seems to be generally adopted upon tea gardens 

 is that of collecting the cases by hand. As the eggs are laid inside the 

 case, it is necessary to collect not only those which have caterpillars 

 inside them, but also the old and apparently (iead cases j for otherwi^^e 

 there will be fear of leaving cases full of live eggs from vvhith young 

 caterpillars may afterwards emerge in great numbers. As the female 

 is incapable of flight, the only way that the insect sja-eads is by the 

 caterpillars, which are very active, crawling from bush to bu.^i. The 

 evil, therefore, can easily be kept in check by a vigihince in. picking off 

 the caterpillars. 



A small trench with a streak of coal-tar at the bottom is likely to 

 be suflicient to prevent the insects from invading a garden from the 

 neighbouring jungle. This they are always liable to do, for most of 

 the species feed upon numerous other plants besides tea. Ihe species 

 hithei'to recorded as attacking tea are as follows : — 



Eumeta crameri, Westw. Caterpillars of this species have been 

 sent to the Indian Museum on several occasions from tea gardens alike 

 in Sikkim and Assam. 



Hie lilsect has also been recorded by Green as feeding upon loth 

 tea and coffee bushes in Ceylon. 



The eases, shown natural si^e in the figure, are like miniature fagots 

 of sticks. The most remarkable feature about the caterpillars is theil' 

 extraordinary vitality. Indeed, they will withstand an amoutit of rou^h 

 handling which would be fatal to the larvse of almoet any other group 

 of Lepidoptera. The point is an important one to remember in consider* 

 ing how best to dispose of what are broitght in by cooliesi 



