306 PYRAUSTA MACHGRALIS. 


We may thus say of this moth that in dry teak forests it prob- 
ably runs through as many as four generations in the year, 
whilst in the damper forests of this tree it will have seven 
generations, hibernating as a full-grown larvaat the beginning 
of November or later towards the end of December. At the 
same time, however, it must be noted that the actual hiberna- 
tion of the full-grown larva in the ground has as yet been 
only noted in the Central Provinces teak forests, and observa- 
tions as to whether the insect acts in this manner have still to 
be made in the other parts of India where teak grows. It 
need hardly be stated here that this point is an exceedingly 
important one since it may possibly proveto be the easiest 
stage in which to attack the insect. 
Localities from which reported. 
This insect has a wide distribution, and, as this latter shows, 
must have other food-plants besides teak. In India reports 
show that it is present wherever the teak tree grows, and this 
would appear to apply to single scattered introduced trees 
since there are a few such in Dehra Dun, and the insect is 
present upon them. The distribution in India may be given as 
the teak forests of Bombay, Berar, Central Provinces, Madras 
and Burma. 
Hampson gives the distribution as— 
Formosa, Khasis, Nilgiris, Ceylon, Burma, Java, Australia. 
Relations to the Forest, 
This Pyrausta is at present one of the most serious defoliating 
pests known in Indian forests, Another which is equally 
bad is its companion Hyblza puera. The method of feeding of 
the eaterpillar is eminently characteristic and apparently never 
varies. The damage committed by the depredations of these 
grubs can therefore be at once recognized once it has been seen. 
The caterpillar only feeds upon the soft green parenchyma of the 
leaf, the veins and vascular tissue being left untouched. The 
leaves are thus ‘‘skeletonized ” (see PI. XVIII, fig. 2), and during 
severe attacks whole leaves will be found to be entirely treated 
in this way. In less severe attacks only portions of the leaves 
