The Tea insects of India, 



29 



mosquito, and is hence generally known as '' Mosquito blight." It may 

 1)6 distinguished at a glance by its knobbed scutellar spine which has 

 been apj)ropriately compared to a minute drumstick sticking out from 

 the middle of its back. 



The figures, which are taken from specimens in the Indian Museum 

 collection from Assam, show the larva in two stages of development, 

 also the winged form, all much enlarged. Ihe natural size in each case 

 is indicated by hair lines. 



Attention was first directed to the insect by Mr. S. E. Peal, who 

 published a valuable paper upon it in the Journal of the Agricultural 

 and Horticultural Society of India (Vol. IV, 1873), with excellent 

 figures, illustrating both the various stages of the insect after leaving the 

 Q^'gi and also the damage done by it to the tea bush. The method of 

 oviposition was first described by the late Mr. J. Wood-Mason, whose 

 report appeared in 1884'. Further light upon the habits of the insect is 

 afforded by some valuable communication to Indian Museum JSotes from 

 Messrs, Harcourt and Dudgeon ; while for information relating to the 

 practical side of the question, the writer is also indebted to a review of 

 the genus Helopeltis by the late Mr. E. T. Atkinson. 



The insect injures the tea bush by sucking up the juice with its 



proboscis, which it inserts into tissue of the 

 The nature of the damage. , „ i • ji xi j. iu -j 



leaf much m the way that the mosquito 



sucks blood. The following extract from Peal's paper, as quoted in 



