52 Indian Lisect Pests, [Vol. I. 



This insect does not seem to have been previously sent to the Museum 

 as a pest_, but an allied species, Eumeta crameri^ whose caterpillar builds 

 its case of sticks (instead of the leaves in which the Ranchi insect 

 shelters itself), has long been known as injurious to tea in Darjeeling, 

 where also hand-picking is the treatment adopted. 



It is well known that with Psychidae, each caterpillar builds a case 

 for itself of silk and leaves or sticks, enlarging it as it grows, and pupat- 

 ing within it. The female moth is wingless and never leaves the case, 

 but lays her eggs inside it ; while the male moth is winged, often 

 has considerable power of flight, and fertilizes the female as she lies, 

 within the case. 



The eggs being deposited inside the case, old and apparently dead 

 cases, are just the ones which it is most necessary to destroy, for it is 

 from these that the young insects start. 



In the Museum collection is a specimen of the Noctues moth Achaa 



melicerte bred by Mr. Wood-Mason in September 



1887 rrom a caterpillar said to attack castor-oil 



plants in the neighbourhood of Calcutta. The range of this insect is a 



wide one ; it has been recorded ^ from all parts of India, besides Celebes 



and A^ustralia. Nothing seems to be known of it as a pest. 



Specimens of a caterpillar which feeds on teak leaves have been 



received from Dr. Tomes, of Midnapore, who writes 

 Teak caterpillar. r. « , i x i 



on 26th July : — 



" The teak trees ia this station are suffering from the ravages of a caterpillar to 

 an extent I have never known before. It is a leaf -roller,^ with the habit of suspending 

 itself by threads ; whole rows of trees have been defoliated by it in a remarkable way, 

 the adjoining trees of other sorts escaping. The insect is now mostly in the pupa 

 stage." 



On 7th August he writes — 



" They swarmed for a short time; the old eaten-up leaves with pupae, however, 

 have now fallen off and a fresh crop has come out, and has not been attacked. I am 

 unable to find a single chrysalis. No preventive measures were adopted, the plague 

 ceased spontaneously." 



Dr. Tomes sent specimens of the caterpillar and chrysalis, which 



somewhat resembled those of the cotton worm Aletia argill'icea of 



America; but in the present state of knowledge concerning Indian 



moths it is practically impossible to name Noctues with certainty, except 



' Determined by Mr, Moore (utde letter from Dr. Giinther, dated l7th November 

 1883). 



2 See " Catalogue of the Moths of India," Cotes and Swinhoe, p. 402. 



^ From the specimens received it appears that the pupa is f orn ed on the tree and euve. 

 opod in the lenf. 



