PROC. EXT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 21, NO. 3, MAR., 1919 59 



be Pagiocerus rimosus Eich. which, according to Blandford 1896 

 is widely distributed in tropical America from Chili to Mexico 

 and Cuba, and which is recorded from Florida by Hopkins 1907, 

 Swaine 1909, and Blatchley and Leng 1916, boring in seeds of 

 Persea borboni, Anona glabra and .4. cherimolia, and in corn. 

 Specimens received alive from Mr. Hoyt were reared by the writer, 

 through serveral generations in Avocado seed, and the same 

 species was recently found infesting Central American corn at 

 Quarantine in San Francisco, so the species may be a pest of 

 various stored products.. 



Since avocado culture in Florida appears to be assuming almost 

 the proportions of an industry, it may be permissible to mention 

 two other insects that are not seed weevils but which may become 

 important. Mr. Schwarz believes that Ashmead confused the 

 two Florida swamp trees, Magolia glauca and Persea borbonia 

 in his field observations and that Trioza niagnoliae Ash. lives 

 upon the latter and not, as stated by Ashmead 1881 and quoted 

 by Crawford 1914, upon the former. Crawford remarks upon 

 the similarity between magnoliae and koebelei which latter, Kirk- 

 aldy 1905 described from galls on Persea gratissima in Morelos, 

 Mex., the species being "very destructive." Whether or not 

 the two named forms prove to be synonyms, it is evident that the 

 Florida form may adapt itself to, and become destructive to 

 cultivated avocado. 



CryptorhyncJius ferratus is recorded by Schwarz 1890 as in- 

 festing only branches of Persea carolinensis, in Florida, instead 

 of oak. VanDine 1909 records Xyleborus immaturus attacking 

 avocado, and Perkins 1913 mentions two more Scolytids, Hy- 

 pothenemus eruditus (?) and Crossotarsns externedentatus as boring 

 in large avocado trunks in Hawaii. A single specimen of an 

 unknown genus of Cryptorhynchid weevils was found in an avocado 

 flower-bud received in alcohol in 1915 from the island of Guam, 

 the vial being labeled "Avocado flowers attacked by insects" 

 but we were unable, from the accompanying letter or from the 

 samples received, to satisfy ourselves as to the nature or cause 

 of the injury. 



There are probably many other insects already reported as 

 of economic interest in relation to the culture of this tree, but 

 it would be out of place here to more than mention that fourteen 

 species of Coccids and five other insects not mentioned above 

 are listed as dangerous by Pierce 1917 and that a few more Coccids 

 and an undermined species of the Lepidopterous genus Stenoma 

 are mentioned by Sasscer 1918 who tells me that the larva of the 

 latter eats galleries in the seed similar to those of the two large 

 weevils, but easily distinguishable from them by the presence of 

 loosely packed lepidopterous irass-pellets. Popenoe 1919 also 

 refers to this moth. 



