No. 4.] Notes on Insect pests f font the Entomological Section. 192 



of all green tissues, except the midribs. They are not cut worms. They feed at 

 night, crawl up the stems find are found in colonies, 5 to 20 in a lot, lightly covered 

 with soil in the driest parts of the soil surface during the day. The insects are found 

 usually at first in one portion or along one side of a field, but they sweep across 

 it in about two days stripping every plant. 



" The chrysalides are red-brown in colour, the covering being tough. They are 

 further protected by a cemented coating of earth which has no distinct outer surface, 

 the inner surface being cemented as described in the form of the chrysalis. The 

 chrysalides are found quite close to the surface of the field about \ inch or so under 

 the surface. I think that if this position is much disturbed, the moths will not be 

 able to emerge. I have, therefore, taken the precaution of ploughing the affected 

 fields expeditiously. In this way the chrysalides are turned down about 4 inches 

 below the surface. The moth, I believe, emerges from the chrysalis in about 8 

 days, but we have been unable to rear the caterpillars in confinement. We have 

 got moths from perfectly formed chrysalides collected in the field. The 

 caterpillars are found chiefly in fields Vv'hich have been manured with farm yard 

 manure this season. 



" I liave been particularly struck this year with the unusually large numbers of 

 moths and butterflies, and unquestionably cultivated plants are affected with insect, 

 pests to a greater extent than usual." 



The insect proved to be a Noctues moth belonging to the species 

 Leucania unipuncta, \{a.^.=sexfranea, Guen. It is referred to in the 

 pages of these Notes as attacking paddy crops in Bengal, oat 

 {Avena sativa) plants in Sibpur, and pea { Pisum sativum) in 

 Patna. 



Sir G. F. Hampson describes the species as pale brick-red or 

 very pale brown and irrorated with dark specks and blotches. Fore 

 vf'm^ with slight traces of the orbicular and reniform stigmata ; a 

 minute white speck at lower angle of cell with a black speck inside 

 it ; fairly prominent postmedial and marginal series of black specks 

 the former curved ; and indistinct oblique dark apical streak. Hind 

 wing pale suffused with fuscous, in the red specimens less suffused 

 towards base. Underside of hind-wing sometimes with faint cell- 

 spot and postmedial series of specks. 



Hal. — Universally distributed. Exp. 44-50 millim. 



As regards remedial measures, Mr. MoUison writes:— 

 " The only practical means of preventing damage is to reap at once the 

 affected portion. Scarify the surface of the ground to expose the caterpillars a 

 hand rake does well for the purpose ; hand pick and drown the cattrpiliars in a 

 tub half filled with water. If this method is adopted, crow and other birds in 

 large numbers are soon attracted to the field, and are extremely industrious in dis- 

 posing of the caterpillars. If the crops when cut from an affected field is left in 

 swathe, the caterpillars will be foand on the following day under the swathe, and 

 not covered with soil, so that by moving a yard or two of swathe at a time, tiie 

 caterpillars can very readily be collected.'* 



