308 
COLEOPTERA. 
S. nubilans, Muls., throughout the plains, feeding also on cotton 
mealybug. We figure Aulis vestita , Muls. (PL LXXXIV, Figs. 7, 8, 
9), found feeding upon Monophlebus . This beetle and its larva are 
found on trees infested by this mealybug and would readily escape 
notice. Like its prey the beetle appears only from February or 
earlier to May, and breeds freely at that time ; the beetle is found 
during the rains in concealment on the bark, awaiting the return of 
Monophlebus. (Mem. Agric. Dept., India, Yol. II, No. VII.) 
Chilocorus nigritus, Fabr., is a moderate-sized round black beetle, 
very shiny, which feeds on Aphis cardui as well as several scale insects 
(. Asterolecanium) and aphides. It is widely distributed but rarely found 
abundantly. Brumus suturalis , Fabr., is yellowish with black stripes 
on the elytra. It feeds on cotton aphis, cotton mealybug and probably 
other small sucking insects. The larva was reared on Phenacoccus in- 
solitus, Gr.; it is a sluggish insect, grey covered with a fine white bloom, 
measuring about five millimetres in length, two and a half in breadth, 
the abdomen being the thickest part. It eats the mealybugs in all 
stages and pupates among them in the usual way. Clanis soror, We., 
is a small round beetle found feeding upon the Castor Mealy Wing 
(Aleurodes, Sp.). The stages are figured. (Plate LXXXI, Figs. 9, 10,11.) 
Epilachna is herbivorous and is universally distributed. The 
beetles are comparatively large for this family, of a dull red-brown 
colour with black markings. The vari¬ 
ability of the markings has led to the 
species having many names and it is not 
clear how many species there are. Our 
common ones fall into two types, E. 
dodeca-stigma, Muls , with 12 spots, E. 
vigintiocto-punctata , Fabr., with28. These 
vary in colour, in size and number of 
spots, in extent of pubescence, and in 
the extent to which the colour is ob¬ 
scured by dark suffusion. So far as can 
be seen the life-history is the same throughout the common Indian 
forms ; eggs are laid in clusters on the leaves, which hatch to oval 
yellow grubs with spiny processes ; these feed on the epidermis of the 
leaf and pupate there when full grown, in the ordinary manner. 
Fig. 187.— Epilachna viginti¬ 
octo-punctata. 
