195 



Indian Museum Notes. [ Vol. IV. 



"Farm Insects of Europe, " it feeds on a great variety of plants, 

 especially those of turnip and corn. In India, however, it has 

 hitherto only been reported to attack coffee plants. 



Sir G. F. Hampson in his Fauna of British India moths ii, 

 describes the species as whitish brown, pale brown or fuscous ; palpi 

 darker at sides; collar with dark line; abdomen whitish. Fore- 

 wing with double waved sub~basal ante- and postmedial lines ; an 

 obscure waved sub-marginal line and marginal series of specks ; the 

 orbicular and reniform with dark centres and edges ; the claviform 

 small and black ; all these markings being much obscured in 

 the dark specimens. Hind-wings iridescent white with dark margi- 

 nal line, and in some specimens with dark suffusion on the margin. 



Hab. — Europe; and throughout India and Ceylon. Exp. 42-48 

 millim. 



The second species A^rotis bicomca, Koll., reared from the batch 

 of Indigo caterpillars has not previously been reported to attack crops 

 in India, but as it is a species very closely allied to A. segetis, there 

 is every probability of its becoming at any time a troublesome pest. 

 In its description it differs from segeiis in having the sub-basal ante- 

 and postmedial lines of the forewing almost or quite obsolete ; the 

 submarginal line strongly dentate, with dark streaks on it ; the 

 orbicular elongate, with a dark streak from it to the reniform ; the 

 claviform very elongate and filled in with black. 



Hab. — S. Africa ; N.-W. Himalayas ; Panjab ; Sikkim ; throughout 

 the Bombay and Madras Presidencies; Ceylon. Exp. 38 millim. 



b. Nociues caterpillar. — The following is a letter, dated 6th April 

 1897, from Mr. H. Thorp, of Luchmipur Indigo Factory advising the 

 despatch of specimens of caterpillars destructive to indigo : — 



" I am sending you by this post a small bottle containing specimens, pre- 

 served in spirit, of the caterpillars that are now doing great damage to Indigo. 

 There seem to be at least three distinct varieties of them. The most destructive 

 of all, is, I think, the smallest in size : the little dark coloured one. As a preli- 

 minary symptom there appears a little cobweb on the young indigo plant which 

 binds the topmost shoots together, and on the leaves appear minute black specks, 

 whether the excrement or eggs of the caterpillars I cannot say. On opening the 

 ^^g web I have mentioned a tiny caterpillar is found. They spread with amazing 

 rapidity. One evening a field or 'chukia' as it is called, of many acres in extent 

 may be fresh and healthy-looking!and next morning the whole of it will be blighted. 

 The effect of this is more or less fatal to the plant according to circumstances. 

 In strong lands, and if the plant attacked is fairly advanced though the leaver 

 may be entirely withered and eaten up, the stem will shoot again, and, provided that 

 the plant is not again attacked, will survive with only a small percentage of loss. 

 But in a year like the present one with the moisture deficient to start with and on 

 light lands, (which is the genera! character of indigo lands) the attack is generally 



