THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 219 



roaches are sure to be found. The large leaves of this plant form a receptacle 

 for water, and it is not an uncommon occurrence to find mosquitoes, both larvcC 

 and adults, in such situations. 



Among the commonest insects on Antigua are cotton-stainers (Dysdercics 

 spp.) of which two or three forms occur on the island. Adults were found in 

 copula in late June and early July at which times also nymphs in all stages of 

 development were taken, particularly along the edges of cultivated fields and 

 on low grasses in open places near woods. By preference these bugs feed on 

 the bolls, seeds, leaves and tender shoots of the cotton plants, but when cotton 

 is lacking they will feed upon other related plants. In addition to lessening the 

 vitality of the plant by extracting the juices, cotton-stainers have been found 

 to transmit a fungous disease which has become serious in some of the islands 

 of the West Indies. Indeed, these pests are responsible, in large measure, for 

 the almost complete abandonment of the cotton- growing industry in Antigua. 

 The name stainer arises from the fact that the cotton lint is discoloured by the 

 excrement of the insects and by the fungous disease which gains entrance through 

 the punctures as well as by the crushing of the insects themselves in the gins. 



Other kinds of Hemiptera, both Homoptera and Heteroptera, were taken 

 in great numbers from the grasses and bushes in the cultivated and partly 

 cleared areas all over the island. In fact, the hemipterous fauna exceeded that 

 of any other group of insects, both in variety and abundance. One of the 

 principal families of Heteroptera represented is the Pentatomidae, of which more 

 than fifteen species were taken. Of these, Solubea pugnax, Piezodorus guildinii 

 and Enschistus crenator are perhaps most generally abundant. In faA'ourable 

 localities Mormidea vosilon is often abundant on Solanacea^. Open fields in 

 the central flats yielded great numbers of Thyanta antiguensis, and on the low 

 grass within the crumbling walls of Fort Barclay the peculiar Mecidea longula 

 was extremely abundant. A colony of the beautiful steel blue and red Vulsirea 

 nigroruhra was found on a small tree along a trail leading through the woods. 



The cleared spaces in and near the woods ofifer good collecting grounds 

 for butterflies. On ascending Monks Hill from the south side by one of the 

 numerous trails great numbers of gaily coloured Hesperids, Nymphalids and 

 Lycaenids are to be found in the neighbourhood of the little truck patches. 



In the low cultivated fields along the hills great numbers of larva? and adults 

 of the boll-worm (Tleliothis sp.) and the cutworm {Prodenia spp.) were found, 

 and some injury was being done to various plants, including corn and sweet 

 potatoes. In such places also the familiar Chrysopa larv^ and adults are ven,' 

 common. Small Chrysomelids are not uncommon, Homnphata aequinoctialis 

 and Chaetocnema sp. being among them. 



Very often moths of different kinds were attracted by the lights in our 

 quarters at night, the most notable of these being several forms of Proioparce 

 and a specimen or two of the interesting noctuid, the black \\\tch.{Erebus odora). 



With such a variety of habitats and faunas represented, collecting was 

 indeed a pleasure, and many localities still remained to be investigated at the 

 expiration of our allotted time upon this interesting tropical island. Although 

 one often associates large, striking or bizarre forms of insect life with tropical 

 countries, particularly with tropical islands, such forms are, with few exceptions, 

 lacking on both Barbados and Antigua. 



