No. 2-] Notes on insect pests from the Entomological Section. 49 



seedlings in a village in the Madurantakam taluk of the Chingleput 

 district. 



The caterpillars appeared to be the larvae of the Noctuid moth, 

 Heliothts armigefa, Hubn., a serious pest which does not confine 

 itself to rice alone but attacks pulse, poppy, ganja, safrlower and 

 other crops. 



In the United States where it does serious damage to the cotton 

 crop of the Southern States it is known under the name of the " Boll 

 worm." 



In November some further specimens were sent by the Superin- 

 tendent, Madras Central Museum, who reported that it was destroy- 

 ing the paddy seedlings in some of the villages in the Tirutturaip- 

 pundi Taluk of the Tanjore district. The insects are known locally 

 as Kottiapuchi. 



In September 1899, the Director of Land Records and Agri- 

 culture, North-West Provinces and Oudh, forwarded specimens of 

 larvae of probably the same moth, Heliothis armigera, reporting 

 them to be causing great damage to the rice crop in the Azamgarh 

 district by eating into the stems of the plants. Similar attacks 

 being also reported from other districts. 



4. Hieroglyphus furcifer, Sauss. 



[Order Orthoptera, Family Acrididce.'] 



In September 1899, the Collector of Cuttack forwarded, through 

 the Director of Land Records and Agriculture, Bengal, specimens 

 of insects which he reported to be destroying the paddy crop in his 

 Collectorate. On examination the insects proved to be Hieroglyphus 

 furcifer t Sauss. 



(ii) Wheat Pest. 



In February 1899, the Director of Land Records and Agriculture, 

 Bengal, forwarded some wheat which had been damaged by insects 

 in the Muzaffarpur district. A few dried aphids were found on 

 the wheat stems, but it was impossible to identify them owing to 

 the state they were in. 



