446 



INSECTS. 



[Chap. XII. 



Australasia seem to be more similar than those of Ceylon and 

 of Hindustan. The long intercourse between those two regions 

 may have been the means of conveying some species from one 

 to the other. Among the Pyralites, Hymenia recurvalis in- 

 habits also the West Indies, South America, West Africa, 

 Hindustan, China, Australasia, Australia, and New Zealand ; 

 and its food-plant is probably some vegetable which is culti- 

 vated in all those regions ; so also Desmia afflictalis is found in 

 Sierra Leone, Abyssinia, Ceylon, and China. 



Order Diptera. 



" About fifty species were observed by Dr. Templeton, but 

 most of those here recorded were collected by Mr. Thwaites at 

 Kandy, and have a great likeness to North European species. 

 The mosquitoes are very annoying on account of their num- 

 bers, as might be expected from the moisture and heat of the 

 climate. Culex laniger is the coast species, and the other 

 kinds here mentioned are from Kandy. Humboldt observed 

 that in some parts of South America each stream had its 

 peculiar mosquitoes, and it yet remains to be seen whether 

 the gnats in Ceylon are also thus restricted in their habitation. 

 The genera Sciara, Cecidomyia, and Simulium, which abound 

 so exceedingly in temperate countries, have each one represen- 

 tative species in the collection made by Mr. Thwaites. Thus 

 an almost new field remains for the Entomologist in the study 

 of the yet unknown Singhalese Diptera, which must be very 

 numerous. 



Order Hemiptera. 



" The species of this order in the list are too few and too 

 similar to those of Hindustan to need any particular mention. 

 Lecanium coffece may be noticed, on account of its infesting 

 the coffee plant, as its name indicates, and the ravages of other 

 species of the genus will be remembered, from the fact that 

 one of them, in other regions, has put a stop to the cultivation 

 of the orange as an article of commerce. 



