8o Indian Museum Notes. [Vol. V. 



Imago. — The following is Baly's description of this insect: — 



" It is a narrow, elongate, cylindrical, deep metallic green beetle. Head 

 slightly flattened above, covered with irregular punctures; basal joint of antennse 

 compressed and dilated externally, at its apex truncate. Thorax sub-quadrate ; 

 sides straight and parallel, rounded near their apex, narrowly margired, anterior 

 margin indistinctly produced, rounded ; above convex, coarsely punctured, 

 puncturing rather less deeply impressed and less crowded, especially towards the 

 sides, than in L.jiliformis. Scutellum black, impunctate. Elytra scarcely broader 

 than the thorax ; sides parallel ; apex less acutely rounded, dehiscent at the 

 suture ; above convex, deeply punctate-striate, striae towards the apex of the elytra 

 subsulcate. Beneath entirely black." 



Distribution. — The insect has been reported from the Poona 

 Farm, Kirkee ; and it also is found in the Malabar District, Madras. 



Reports of attacks in the cane fields. — In November, 1893, the 

 insect was reported by the Assistant Superintendent of the Poona 

 Farm, Kirkee, to be attacking the developing leaf of the sugarcane, 

 checking the growth of the plant and eventually killing it. It has 

 also been reported from the Malabar District, Madras, where it attacks 

 paddy, and it is not unlikely to be found on the sugarcane as well. 



Remedies. — In the case of bad attacks of these leaf-feeding 

 insects it is probable that one of the arsenical insecticides, such as 

 'Paris-green' or ' London-purple *, could be used with safety with 

 ordinary care. They are employed by fruit growers in the United 

 States on a very considerable scale, and could be probably used 

 without danger to the crop to rid young cane fields of this and similar 

 leaf-feeding pests. 



It is during the young stages of its growth that the cane chiefly 

 suffers from these insect pests, and dilute solutions of these arsenical 

 sprays should prove effective in ridding the crop of them. Paris- 

 green and London-purple are arsenical compounds much alike 

 both in composition and also in the effect which they have on 

 insects. They are applicable to caterpillars and other mandibular 

 insects attacking the foliage of crop plants. The poison is sprayed 

 on to the plants and consequently taken internally by the insects 

 feeding on their leaves. These compounds can be obtained from 

 various London Firms 1 made up into lib packets with directions for 

 their application. They are sprayed on by means of a force pump. 2 

 London-purple is preferable to Paris-green as there is less risk of 

 injury to the foliage. For general use on mature foliage half a 



1 Messrs. Hemingway & Co. of 60 Mark Lane, London E. C, for instance. 

 3 Good pumps are made by Messrs. Rumsay&Co. of Sineca trails, New York. Their 

 catalogue should be consulted. 



