180 Indian Museum Notes. [Vol. V* 



Pupa formed in a thin white cocoon* in the tunnel in the cane 

 made by the larva, the head downwards, the cocoon placed close 

 to the large hole bored right through the cane to the outside leaf 

 made for the escape of the moth. Length 75 of an inch, reddish- 

 brown in colour, the segmental constrictions rather darker, cylin- 

 drical, ending in a sharp black point ; the spiracles dark red, pro- 

 minent ; the head rounded; the wing-cases well marked. 



The above descriptions are taken from the larger larvae and 

 pupae which have produced female moths, the smaller ones producing 

 male moths differ only in being altogether of a more slender build. 



The eggs of this species have not been discovered. In canes 

 attacked by this borer there are no (at any rate prominent) signs of 

 the entrance of the young larva into the cane as there is in the case 

 of Scirpophaga auriflua y Zeller, there is no row of holes across the 

 larger growing leaves at their base, nor are these leaves turned over 

 and drooping. The "dead-hearts", however, are always present, as 

 they are in all the canes 1 have examined affected by lepidopterous 

 borers if the boring has been of sufficient period to kill the growing 

 point as invariably happens sooner or later. As usual, the young 

 larva of N. inferens starts from the top of the shoot of cane and 

 gradually eats its way downwards to close to the root in the young 

 cane, on reaching the bottom it bores a hole at right angles to the 

 length of the cane to the outside for the escape' of the moth, and 

 pupates inside the tunnel — at least this occasionally happens, as I 

 have found at least two pupae within the tunnel, but most probably 

 the larger number of larvae leave the cane when full-fed, and pupate 

 in the ground as is usual with the Noctuidae. I have not found any 

 pupae in the earth, but believe they usually pupate in the ground, as 

 so very few pupae are found in the canes. 



At Seeraha in Champaran this is the commonest borer of the 

 three I found there in June. The larvae are found in the canes also 

 throughout July, but many dead ones occur in the canes during the 

 latter month, being doubtless drowned in their burrows by the heavy 

 rain. The larva is the largest of the three Champaran borers, and 

 differs greatly in appearance from either of the two others. Its pale 

 flesh-colour is very distinctive, S. auriflua is creamy-white, while 

 C. simplex, Butler, is colourless, but marked with rows of dark spots. 

 In Champaran it is found in the chinia, nagori, samsara and burali 



* In numerous specimens bred in captivity the larvae have made a rough cocoon of debris of 

 the leaves and stalks of the cane without any silk, between the bases of two leaves of a stalk 

 of cane. I'hey have never turned to pupae in a tin of earth placed in the breeding cages for 

 them to pupate in if they so desired. 



