April i, 1890.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
6?5 
0 keep down its numbers is to destroy the straw by 
fire as soon after the harvest as possible, and to take 
any measures that will teDd to kill or prevent the 
growth of the self-sown rice between the harvest and 
the next year's sowing. With the efficient help which 
is given by the parasitic fly I have already mentioned, 
there should not be much difficulty in comparatively 
freeing the padi fields of this very destructive scourge, 
if the cultivators could only be induced to take a little 
united action. 
L. We ay, Jun., 
Curator, Peralc Museum. 
Addenda. 
Since the above was written, further research has 
brought to light unother inseot associated with the one 
I have already described, and o f almost the same 
habits and general appenranoe. In fact, so close is the 
resemblauce that it was not until the change from the 
larva state took plaoe, that I noticed any difference, 
exoept that the caterpillar was nearly uniform pa'e 
brownish pink and without the five purplish longi- 
tudinal stripes. This was unfortunate, as T did not 
make a close examination or take down a description 
of this stage of the borer. The other stages of its life 
were, however, recorded, and are as follows: — Pupa. — 
Colour pale brown, darker at head, tail and margins 
of joints, with a white bloom over the whole. Heid 
only slightly bent forward, its front somewhat rounded. 
Eyes projecting, black. Thorax minutely pitted. Ab- 
dominal joints also minutely pitted, and with dark 
brown depressed spots scattered irregularly over them, 
more thickly on their anterior halves. Stigma*a pro- 
jecting. Tip of last joint rounded with a small pro- 
jection which is produced into four sharp teeth, the 
two lower ones pointing downwards and the upper 
ones backwards. Length 6-10th inch and diam<>t°r 
nearly 2-10th inch. Imago. — Above, anterior wings pale 
yellowish-brown, with a violet-brown stripe from in- 
sertion of wing to about the middle of the posterior 
margin, along the median ne'vure. This stripe broadens 
towards the posterior margin, which is shaded with the 
same colour. A distant series of five small browo sub- 
marginal spots along the posterior margin, and a spot 
near median nervure opposite the end of cell. Fringe, 
shining pale golden brown. Posterior wings silvery 
white, slightly tinted with yellow. Beneath, pale silvery 
yellowish brown ; hind wings pa'er than the anterior 
ones. Head much depressed, eyes dark brown, invisi- 
ble from above, thorax clothed with long hairs, 
oohraceous towards neck and paler towards abdomen. 
Thorax beneath densely clothed with long hair, as are 
also the two upper joints of the legs. Antennse one 
quarter the length of costal margin, filiform, yellowish 
brown, clothed with a few short hairs. Libinl palpi 
short, scarcely projecting beyond face. Last joint short, 
and clothed with close, short scales. The scales on the 
remainder of palpi bushy, some dark ones mixed with 
the paler. Expanse of wings 1 2-10th inch, length 
6-10th inch. 
This moth appears to have the same habits as 
the other species, but is not nearly so numerous in 
the Larut padi fields. I have only met with two 
examples out of the many borers I have raised, though 
possibly in other parts of the country it may be the 
more plentiful and destructive of the two. It does 
not seem to remain in the chrysalis longer than the 
other, nor is its life in the perfect state any more 
extended, so that any measures that would be effi- 
cacious in preventing the spread of the one would 
be equally applicable to the other. 
L. What, Jun. 
Summary of the Eeport on the 
Pomeloe Moth. 
At the request of the British Resident of Perak, 
I made an enquiry into the cause of the destruction' 
of all the pomeloe fruit grown in the Residency 
gardens at Kwala Kangsa, and have ascertained, 
frpm actual observations and breeding experiments, 
Chat it is primarily to the attacks of the caterpillars 
of a small moth that the loss is due. 
The life history of this insect is, as far as I have 
been able to observe it, as follows : — The eggs are 
laid singly, and in small irregular patches, on the 
lower side of the fruit, and when they hatch out, 
the youug caterpillars eat their way into the fruit, 
making a number of minute holes through the rind, 
generally over an area of about the size of a shilling. 
The pith under this patch is riddled with holes, and 
gum is often subsequently found, both in the cavities 
of the rind, and also on the outside of the fruit. 
As the caterpillars increase in size, they eat their 
way through and through the fruit, and make holes 
through the rind to eject refuse, and also possibly 
to obtain air. To these holes uneatable portions of 
the fruit and fecal pellets are carried by the oater- 
pillars and ejected. The caterpillars, whioh are active, 
quick- moving insects, jump and twist when touched, 
and, for caterpillars, can progress with considerable 
speed. On arriving at maturity, they leave the fruit, 
and, descending to the ground, bury themselves in 
the earth to undergo the change into the pupa state; 
the caterpillars make in the earth cells of agglutin- 
ated earth, lined with white silk ; they measure 07 
inch in length, 0'4 inch in breadth, and 0 - 3 inch in 
depth. On the twelfth day after quitting the fruit 
the transformation is complete, and the moth forces 
its way through the cell and up out of the earth. 
The perfect insect is about an inch across the 
wings and of a warm brown colour, with shadings of 
silvery grey. In the day-time it is very quiet, and 
sits usually on the earth of the breeding cages, the 
head and fore-part of the body being much raised, 
and the antennas laid back on the wings, which are 
closed and folded closely over the body. When in 
this position, it is a very inconspicuous object, both 
as regards colour and form. At night it seems to 
be lively, and is possessed of fairly good powers of 
flight. The first four moths I raised all died in a 
little over two days, and though they consisted of 
two of each sex, no eggs were laid. On dissection 
of the females I found the eggs to be immature 
and few in number, and deduced from their state 
that the insect does not deposit its eggs until some 
days after leaving the chrysalis, and that during that 
time it needs food to enable it to perpetuate its 
species. With the next brood of moths I put va- 
rious fruits, but none of these seemed to their taste, 
for though they lived for five or Bix days, and laid 
a few eggs, none of these proved fertile. In all I 
raised over thirty of these insects without getting o^e 
egg that would hatch. It seems quite possible that 
as the fruit on which they feed during the cater- 
pillar stage is seasonal, and that there are periods 
of months at a time during which no food is avail- 
able that the moths are long lived, and until their 
natural food during the imago portion of their lives 
is discovered, attempts at artificial breeding will be 
unsuccesful. 
Description. 
Egg.— Oval, dirty white, translucent, with fine raised, 
irregular network covering surface. Length - 04 inch, 
and breadth •025 inch. When laid they take the form 
of flattened ovals with the lower side following the 
shape of the object on which they are laid, and the 
upper surface convex. Larva. — General colour blui sha- 
green, tinted above with pinkish bronze. The four 
anterior segments being less tinted than the remainder, 
the young are almost wholly of a rather dull pink. 
Length of adult "86 inch, breadth *15 inch. Pupa. — 
General colour warm brown, darkening towards the 
tail, wing sheaths dull green for the first few days, 
after which they become dark brown. A dark median 
line from tail to thorax on the dorsal aspect. Length 
•5 inch, breadth '17 inch. 
Fffect on the Fruit. 
The caterpillar of the pomeloe moth is able to 
pierce uninjured the natural defences of the fruit. 
Disregarding both the pungent oil of the rind and 
the thick layer of pith beneath it, it reaches the 
cellular portion of the fruit, which it tunnels through 
and through in all directions, passin" through the 
seeds if they happen to be in its line, but apparently 
not seeking them out, Fiscal matter is deposited in 
