PESTS OF CROPS IN THE NYASALAND PROTECTORATE. 349 



Pyralidae. 



Sylepta derogata, F. The cotton leaf-rolling caterpillar appears to be rare in the 

 Shire Highlands, at least in the Zomba District • further north, on the Lake 

 shore, it is much more prevalent and is there a serious pest. The larvae are 

 heavily parasitised by one of the Chalcididae. 



Tineidae. 



There are two species of Tineidae which are widely spread and destructive. 



Phtlwrimaea heliopa, Lower, is a stem-borer of young tobacco, and is a very 

 serious pest in the tobacco nurseries. 



Gracilaria sp. nov.? The larva mines in the leaves of cotton and is a common 

 insect, but is not very destructive, as healthy plants seem to be able to overcome 

 its attacks without great difficulty. It would be a serious pest to cotton struggling 

 ao-ainst adverse conditions. 



Nymphalidae. 



Hypolimnas misippus, L., occurred once as a pest during last season, when in 

 one cotton field the larvae were defoliating the plants. On this occasion they 

 were present in large numbers, about a dozen feeding on a single plant at one time. 



Coleoptera. 



Only a few species of Coleoptera are, so far as the writer can tell at present, 

 of any great economic importance. Certain species while very common on various 

 crops are not particularly harmful. 



Lagriidae. 



Lagria vfflosa, F., is moderately destructive in vegetable gardens to leguminous 

 plants, eating both flowers and leaves. 



Galerucidae. 



Ootheca mutabilis, Sahib., occurs on cotton, leguminous crops and cucurbitaccous 

 plants. It is especially destructive to the flowers of native pumpkins. 



Diacantha conifera, Fairm., also occurs on cucurbitaccous and leguminous 

 plants. 



Asbecesta cyanipennis, Har., is destructive in the adult form to leguminous plants 

 by eating the leaves. It is not, however, a very serious pest. 



Pachytoma gigantea, 111., was found to be troublesome in the nurseries of the 

 Allanje cypress plantations on the top of Zomba Mountain. It was committing 

 a fair amount of damage by eating the growing points of the young trees. 



Tenebrionidae. 



Zophosis sp. is a very minor pest in the adult form on cotton and tobacco. 

 Gonocephalum simplex, F.. is also destructive in a slight degree in the tobacco 



fields. 



