No. 2.] Notes on insect pests from the Entomological Section. 6l 



MISCELLANEOUS TEA PESTS. 



5. Tineid caterpillar. — On the 25th of April 1894, from Messrs. 

 Finlay, Muir & Co., were received some specimens of a caterpillar, 

 said to be very destructive to tea plants in the Mookhamcherra Tea 

 Estate, Sylhet. 



The specimens proved to be the larvae of a still unknown (Tineid) 

 moth, and similar caterpillars were reported in 1 891 to have dam- 

 aged tea bushes in Jorhat. 



6. Limacodid caterpillar. — In July 1894, Messrs. Finlay, Muir 

 & Co. forwarded to the Museum some specimens of a caterpillar, re- 

 ported to be doing a considerable amount of damage to the tea 

 bushes at Rungamuttee Garden, in Sylhet. 



The examples sent were insufficient for precise identification, but 

 they were larvae of a Limacodid moth, 



7. Psy chid caterpillar. — In August 1894, specimens of an insect, 

 reported to be attacking tea bushes in Assam, were forwarded to the 

 Museum, through the Manager, Planters' Stores and Agency Company. 



The insects proved to be the larvae of a Psychid moth, the mate- 

 rial being insufficient for precise identification. 



To summarise : four species of moth-caterpillars, one species of 

 beetle and two species of scale-insects have been reported during 

 the year as doing extensive damage to growing tea-plants in India. 



None of these are mentioned in Mr. Cotes' " Insects and Mites 

 Destructive to Tea, " and must therefore be added to the list there 

 given. 



As regards remedial measures, in the case of the caterpillars, 

 drawings of the parent moths and of the cocoons were forwarded to 

 the parties interested, in order that the pest might be searched for, 

 recognised and destroyed. 



In the ships of the Indian Marine, it is, we believe, found possible 

 to keep down even such nocturnal animals, as cockroaches, by setting 

 boys to catch them, and there seems to be no reason why the same 

 plan should not be successful in the case of such large tea-pests as 

 caterpillars, cocoons, etc. 



