none. In southern India, the principal tea pests such as the mites, Acaphylla theae, Calacarus carinatus and Oligomychus coffeae; the thrips, Scirtothrips bispinosus; the aphid, Toxoptera aurantii; and the caterpillars, Caloptilla theivora, Homona coffearia and Cydia leucostoma are attacked by many natural enemies. H. coffearia is efficiently controlled by the ichneumonid, Phytodietus sp. and the tachinid, Palexorista solennis, whilst the eulophid, Sympiesis dolichogaster, affords excellent regulation of C. theivora. The braconid, Apanteles aristaeus, is the chief parasitoid of C. leucostoma, but the efficiency of this species is rather low. The aphiidids, Aphidius colemani, Lipolexis scuttellaris and Trioxys indicus, and several species of coccinellids and syrphids exert tremendous influence on the populations of T. aurantii. No natural enemies of the scolytid stem borer, Xyleborus fornicatus could be recorded. For the management of mites, pesticides are applied regularly and the widespread usage of broad spectrum acaricides such as dicofol and sulphur is an important reason for the low incidence of predatory mites in tea fields.