﻿68 
  

  

  skipper, 
  Telicota 
  augias, 
  L., 
  is 
  a 
  minor 
  pest 
  of 
  sugar-cane, 
  but 
  is 
  stated 
  

   to 
  feed 
  on 
  bamboo 
  and 
  paddy. 
  It 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  noted 
  as 
  doing 
  any 
  

   real 
  damage. 
  Cirphis 
  unipunda, 
  Haw., 
  the 
  army- 
  worm, 
  occurs 
  

   throughout 
  Southern 
  India, 
  chiefly 
  in 
  October 
  and 
  November. 
  The 
  

   caterpillar 
  is 
  a 
  minor 
  pest 
  of 
  cholam, 
  occasionally 
  attacking 
  paddy, 
  

   maize, 
  etc. 
  Protection 
  of 
  cultivated 
  tracts 
  by 
  digging 
  narrow 
  steep- 
  

   sided 
  trenches 
  around 
  them 
  is 
  usually 
  the 
  only 
  practical 
  measure 
  to 
  

   prevent 
  attack 
  when 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  are 
  swarming. 
  Spodoptera 
  

   mauritia, 
  Boisd., 
  occurs 
  throughout 
  Southern 
  India, 
  and 
  the 
  caterpillar 
  

   sometimes 
  does 
  considerable 
  damage 
  to 
  seedUng 
  rice-plants. 
  The 
  

   eggs 
  are 
  laid 
  usually 
  on 
  the 
  under-surface 
  of 
  blades 
  of 
  grass 
  or 
  paddy, 
  

   in 
  batches 
  covered 
  by 
  buff-coloured 
  hairs 
  from 
  the 
  female 
  moth. 
  The 
  

   caterpillar 
  feeds 
  at 
  night, 
  and 
  when 
  full-fed 
  pupates 
  in 
  the 
  soil, 
  the 
  moth 
  

   emerging 
  after 
  about 
  ten 
  days. 
  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  small 
  areas, 
  such 
  as 
  seed- 
  

   beds, 
  the 
  following 
  control 
  measures 
  may 
  be 
  adopted 
  : 
  — 
  (1) 
  Protection 
  

   of 
  seed-beds 
  by 
  surrounding 
  them 
  with 
  narrow 
  steep-sided 
  trenches 
  ; 
  

   (2) 
  collection 
  of 
  egg-masses 
  ; 
  (3) 
  spraying 
  ; 
  and 
  (4) 
  flooding 
  of 
  area 
  

   and 
  turning 
  in 
  ducks. 
  This 
  last 
  method 
  is 
  used 
  successfully 
  in 
  some 
  

   districts. 
  Sesamia 
  inferens, 
  Wlk., 
  occurs 
  throughout 
  Southern 
  India, 
  

   the 
  caterpillar 
  being 
  a 
  bad 
  pest 
  of 
  ragi, 
  and 
  often 
  found 
  as 
  a 
  minor 
  pest 
  

   of 
  maize, 
  cholam, 
  paddy, 
  wheat 
  and 
  sugar-cane. 
  The 
  caterpillar 
  

   bores 
  inside 
  the 
  stem, 
  pupating 
  in 
  the 
  larval 
  burrow. 
  The 
  attacked 
  

   plants 
  show 
  dry 
  ears, 
  and 
  destruction 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  indicated 
  to 
  prevent 
  

   extension 
  of 
  the 
  attack. 
  Remigia 
  frugalis, 
  F., 
  is 
  occasionally 
  a 
  very 
  

   minor 
  pest 
  of 
  paddy 
  throughout 
  Southern 
  India. 
  The 
  caterpillar 
  

   feeds 
  exposed 
  on 
  leaf 
  -blades. 
  Psalis 
  (Dasychira) 
  securis, 
  Hb., 
  is 
  a 
  

   minor 
  pest 
  of 
  paddy 
  throughout 
  the 
  plains 
  of 
  Southern 
  India. 
  

   Pupation 
  usually 
  occurs 
  on 
  a 
  leaf-blade 
  in 
  a 
  cocoon 
  formed 
  of 
  silk, 
  

   interwoven 
  with 
  larval 
  hairs 
  ; 
  the 
  pupal 
  period 
  is 
  about 
  ten 
  days. 
  

   The 
  caterpillars 
  are 
  conspicuous 
  and 
  feed 
  exposed, 
  and 
  are 
  therefore 
  

   easily 
  collected 
  by 
  hand. 
  Ancylolomia 
  chrysographella, 
  Kollar, 
  is 
  found 
  

   throughout 
  Southern 
  India, 
  the 
  caterpillar 
  feeding 
  on 
  paddy, 
  Paspalum 
  

   dilatatum, 
  and 
  probably 
  on 
  all 
  grasses. 
  It 
  has 
  only 
  been 
  found 
  on 
  one 
  

   occasion 
  as 
  a 
  serious 
  pest 
  of 
  paddy 
  seedHngs, 
  but 
  is 
  liable 
  to 
  occur 
  at 
  

   any 
  time 
  in 
  dry 
  sandy 
  localities. 
  The 
  pale 
  green 
  caterpillar 
  feeds 
  at 
  

   night, 
  remaining 
  during 
  the 
  day 
  in 
  long 
  tubular 
  galleries 
  hned 
  with 
  

   silk 
  at 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  its 
  food-plant. 
  Pupation 
  occurs 
  in 
  the 
  larval 
  

   gallery 
  ; 
  the 
  pupal 
  period 
  is 
  about 
  ten 
  days. 
  Control 
  measures 
  

   include 
  (1) 
  flooding 
  of 
  affected 
  areas 
  to 
  bring 
  up 
  the 
  caterpillars, 
  which 
  

   are 
  greedily 
  devoured 
  by 
  crows, 
  etc. 
  ; 
  (2) 
  spraying 
  of 
  plants 
  (in 
  

   small 
  experimental 
  areas, 
  seed-beds, 
  etc.) 
  ; 
  and 
  (3) 
  attraction 
  of 
  

   moths 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  light-traps 
  at 
  night. 
  Schoenohius 
  bipimctifer, 
  

   Wlk., 
  the 
  paddy 
  stem-borer, 
  occurs 
  throughout 
  the 
  plains 
  of 
  Southern 
  

   India 
  as 
  a 
  very 
  serious 
  pest. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  laid 
  on 
  leaves 
  in 
  clusters, 
  

   covered 
  with 
  yellowish 
  hair. 
  The 
  caterpillar 
  bores 
  into 
  the 
  stems 
  of 
  

   the 
  paddy 
  and 
  pupation 
  occurs 
  in 
  the 
  larval 
  burrow, 
  which 
  is 
  lined 
  with 
  

   silk. 
  The 
  moth 
  emerges 
  through 
  a 
  hole 
  previously 
  cut 
  by 
  the 
  cater- 
  

   pillar 
  through 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  stem. 
  No 
  really 
  successful 
  control- 
  

   measure 
  can 
  be 
  given 
  as 
  yet, 
  but 
  to 
  reduce 
  the 
  damage 
  the 
  following 
  

   means 
  are 
  suggested 
  : 
  — 
  (1) 
  Ploughing 
  and, 
  if 
  possible, 
  burning 
  of 
  

   paddy-stubble 
  after 
  the 
  harvest 
  is 
  gathered 
  ; 
  (2) 
  collection 
  of 
  egg- 
  

   masses, 
  which 
  are 
  conspicuous 
  ; 
  and 
  (3) 
  attraction 
  of 
  moths 
  to 
  light- 
  

   traps 
  at 
  night. 
  Nymphula 
  depunctalis, 
  Gn., 
  is 
  a 
  serious 
  pest 
  of 
  paddy 
  

  

  