272 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. !Oct. 1, 1899. 
Mr, Moore describes tlie male, as deep ferrugi- 
nous : fore-\ving witii patches on the disc, and a 
small patch at the apex, black hind wing with a 
triangular hyaline space from exterior margin ; 
the anterior and abdominal margins fuliginous- 
brown ; thorax with two black spots in front, and 
one on each side ; base of abdomen black. Ex- 
panse inch. 
Hab. — Cachar, Java. 
5. ASTYCUS LATERALIS, FABE. 
(Order Coleopetera, Fam. Curculionidre.) 
Through Dr. G. Watt, Reporter on Economic 
Pl-oducts to the Government of India, were re- 
ceived in the Museum in July 1897, specimens of a 
weevil said to be attacking tea plants in Assam. 
The original sender wrote concerning them that 
" they came during one niglit in thousands and 
simply stripped the bushes they were on." 1^'ortu- 
nately they are easy to catch. 
The specimens proved to be the same as Asticus 
lateralis, Fabr., which has previously been recorded 
as attacking various plants in diiferent parts of 
India. 
In 1889, Mr. Beck submitted specimens of this 
insect for examination, and reported that they at- 
tacked the leaves of the " Some " plant in the 
Raj Gardens, Darbhunga. In Vol. II, Indian 
Museum Notes, page 151, it is referred to as "a 
small greenish weevil reported in the beetle stage 
as defoliating mulberry (Morus) bushes in Rangoon. 
Also thought to be the species which has been 
reported by Mr. Thompson as tunnelling into the 
timber of Chir (Pinus longifolia) in the North- 
western Provinces ; in this ease the injury is no 
doubt done by the larviB of the insect." 
6. DIAPROMOKPHA MELANOPUS, LAGGED. 
(Order Coleoptera, Fam. Chrysomelida;.) 
In July 1897, specimens of a beetle which proved 
to be Diapromorphn melanopus ,hA.coxA, were sent to 
the Museum by Messrs. Williamson, Magor & Co. 
who reported that it had been doing damage among 
the tea bushes on one ot their Assam estates in the 
Jorehaut district. 
This insect (known as the " Orange ' beetle) is 
commonly found in tea gardens in Assam, where it 
no doubt does a good amount of injury by eating 
up the tender stems of tea-shoots. 
Specimens accompanied by complaints of damage 
done by it are annually sent to the Museum, but 
no action, it appears, "has hitherto been taken to 
ascertain the life-history of the pest. 
7. CEEMASTOGASTER ROGENHOFEEI, MATE. 
(The Red and Black Ant of the Tea Bushes). 
In his report on the '■ Pests and Blights of the 
Tea Plant of Assam, 1898," Dr. G. Watt. Reporter 
on Economic Products to the Government of India, 
makes mention, in page 257, of a red and black ant 
which he had observed infesting tea bushes in 
His elaborate account of the habits, etc., of the 
insect is very interesting, but his identihcation of 
the species with Cremastogaster contenta, Mayr., is 
incorrect. Di. Watt was good enough to present 
specimens to the Entomological Section of the 
Indian Museum, these are undoubtedly identical 
with authentically named specimens of Crcmasta- 
qaster rogenhoferi, Mayr., in the Museum collec- 
tion. . 
To make quite certain, a few examples of 
the insect were despatched to Dr. Forel, of Zurich, 
who confirmed the identification as " Cremasto- 
gaiter rogenhoferi, Mayr., one of the commonest 
species of India." 
8. p:uproctis caterpillar. 
Tjn the 19th March 1897, from Dr. G. 
Watt, Reporter on Economic Products to 
the Government of India, were received speci- 
mens of a caterpillar reported as doing a deal of 
damage to the tea buslies in Darjeeling. The 
following is an extract which he forwarded regard- 
ing the pest ; — 
"A new sort of this blight has developed. A 
blackish-brown hairy species, they attack the old 
leaves and strip the trees. This pest does all its 
ravages at night and hides itself under clods and 
stones during the day. I have boys on catching 
same thousands daily. They appear on the dry 
rid'.'es and are not found in any damp hollows. 
Tliey have stripped some 50 or 60 acres on an ad- 
joining garden and are now attacking the bark. 
(Jn lower portions of Lebong and M. S. they have 
now appeared and are now doing considerable harm. 
I am sending you a bottle-tuU in spirit. I fancy they 
will disappear with rain, but of this there is no 
sign." 
riie specimens appeared to be the larva; of a 
Lymentriid moth probably of the genus Euproctis, 
and not unlike the tea caterpillars sent in by 
Messrs. Andrew Yule & Co. from the Darjeeling 
district. (See p. 180). 
9. PSYCHID CATERPILLAR. 
In July 1897, specimens ot a bag-worm said to 
be doing great injury to tea plants in the Golaghat 
tlistrict, Assam, were forwarded to the Museum 
tiirough the Secretary, Agricultural and Horticul- 
tural Society of India. 
Tlie specimens proved to be the larvae of a 
Psychid niotb probably belonging to a species 
hitherto undescribed. We have only a few ex- 
amples of the larva-case of this insect in our collec- 
tion, but unfortunately we possess no moths, and 
Sir G. F. Hampson doas not mention this species in 
his catalogue of moths of British India, Ceylon 
and Burma. 
The most curious thing noticeable in this in- 
teresting group of moths is their larva-cases or 
protective covering's, which are usually composed 
of a silk lining with twigs, grass, and bits of 
leaves or vegetable matter attached on the out- 
side, and are so constructed as to resemble little 
bundles of dried sticks, leaves, etc. In this insect, 
however, the larva-case is smooth and is covered 
with a coating of very finely divided vegetable 
matter and exactly resembles a thorn. 
10. COLEOPTEROUS LARV.^;. 
In July 1897, Mr. D. Hooper, Curator of 
Economic Museum, sent to the Indian Museum 
specimens ot grubs reported as tea pests for identi- 
fication. He wrote : — 
"A correspondent in Nazira Division, Sibsagar, 
has sent me the accompanying bottle of white grub 
(Lachnosterna impressa) as a tea pest. Most of 
the smaller forms seem stages of the larvae of 
that beetle, but I cannot think the very large ones 
can be the same species. I shall be much obliged 
for your opinion and, if possible, determination. 
I have found the very large one all over Assam 
imbedded in hard mud-houses of which 1 send a 
sample. It is particularly common in hard clay 
soils and does much damage to rice. These I at 
first mistook for queen whiteant houses until I 
dug them out for myself and found them invaria- 
bly occupied by identically similar larvae to the 
laige ones herewith supplied. They are no doubt 
a .species of Lachnosterna, but are they L. impressa 
