ss 



THE AGRICITLTIIRAL NEWS. 



Febrvarv -23, 1918. 



INSECT NOTES. 



INSECT PESTS IN BARBADOS IN 1916-17. 



The KepcTt f'f the Bubi>do> liepartment of Agriculture 

 for the year ended March "^l, IPl", has recentl)- appeared as 

 a supplement to the Harbados OfJcial Gauttf of .'anuary 24, 

 1916, and it is proposed to give some brief notes on those 

 portions of the report which deal with insects. 



'I'he report of the Superintendent of Agriculture, Mr. 

 J. 1!. Bovell, is occupied mciinly with a list of the Acarina 

 « mites and ticks) and In-ecta of Barbados, except the Coccidae 

 •^r scale insects, a list of which was published in the Report 

 for 19Ul-">. The present list does not claim to be by any 

 means complete, but it serves as a useful preliminary 

 reference which can doubtle.~s be added to from lime to time. 

 The report of the Assistant Superintendent of Agriculture, 

 Mr. J. S. Dash, is concerned with the various croi' pests, which 

 are dealt with under the crop headings. 



SI (.ARCANE. This crop has for many years been 

 •-ttacked by three pests whose combined onslaughts must 

 cause considerable annual losses. Mr. Dash calls attention 

 to the fact that two of these pests, the rof >t borer ( Dinpn-jxs 

 'Mrrriatuf) and the brown hard back {Pliiitaluf xmif'd), are 

 on the increase, while the moth borer {Diah-aea sacc/iaralis) 

 continues to cause a great loss every year. He urges the 

 necessity for more general cooperation among the planters 

 in carrying out measures for keeping these pests in check. 

 As Mr. Dash points out, the campaign against insect pests 

 should be one of the routine operations of estate practice. A 

 certain annual outlay should be .set aside for this purpose, 

 and the benefits of increased yields would more than repay 

 any such outlay e.xpended in the right way. Hand-collecting 

 of' the various stag s of these insects is veiy useful as 

 a measure of control, but it must be supplemented by proper 

 rotation of crops, otherwise much of the e.\pendiiure of 

 labour and money is wasted. 



Minor pests of sugarcane are the mealy bugs {Pfeudo- 

 cocciif calreolana: and P. sacchan), and the scale insect 

 Anpulii'luK fan-hiiri. Termites or white ants are also 

 mentioned as occasionally attacking sugar-cane. A previous 

 leport recorded the species Euiennes /I'dfietisi.^, Holmg., 

 while this report mentions the finding of another species 

 Co/dollcrvits 'iinrnl'itamiK, Hag., as a minor pest of sugarcane. 



The cane-tty (Ddikar sacc/iariinrn) has not been 

 observed by Mr. Da.sh since lit 14 when the egg-masses of 

 this plant bug were found to be heavily parasitized by 

 n minute hymenopteron, Anai/>-t/s flaveKcetis. It was formerly 

 t;onsidered that lacewing Hies (Ckrys'rpn sp.) and cocoinellid 

 beetles were the chief natural enemies of this pest. 



ciiiTON. The presence of the leaf-blister mite (Ih loplii/rA 

 notmip'i) WHS reported from some places* while small attacks 

 f the cotton caterpillars (AUil'am<i •iniiUacia and Aldia 

 iuridvla) are recorded. These caterpillars were controlled by 

 the use of I'aris gieen. The red maggot (/'orrico'uli/la 

 ffptfypir) caused injury to cotton stems in one locality. 



The larger importation of cotton seed into I'.arbado.s from 

 '.utside to meet the needs of the two local oil factories has 

 increased the danger of the introduction of foreign insect 

 ijests. Mr. Dash reports that many of these cargoes of cotton 

 'eed have been found on arrival to be insect infested, and at 

 least two species of .Microlepidoptera, or .small moths, and 

 aTenebri'inld beetle have been intercepted These have, in 

 ^^yery ca«e. he continues, survived fumigation with the 

 method in vogue, thereby showing the necessity for the 



erection of an upto-date fumigatCTiuiu if the cotton industry 

 is to be protected from dangerou.~ imported insects such as 

 pink boll worm, boll weevil, etc. 



PRovisidN cKoi's. The scarabee {Euscepes halnti:e) 

 has been recorded as prevalent in swe- 1 potatoes in several 

 districts, and the need of sound action against this pest is 

 emphasized, especially in view of the present food situation. 

 It may be mentioned here that the more important measures 

 of control which are to be used against the scarabee were 

 given in the last number of the A<iri<iillwnl Kcf-i (Feb. 9, 

 l9l.-<). 



The red spider ( 'A/rdw/zr'ni.-- telarina) ■via.s present on 

 sweet potatoes during the dry months, but this pest is 

 usually thrown otJ' by the plants with the arrival of good 

 rains. Dusting with equal parts of Howers of .sulphur and 

 lime is recommended for bad attacks. 



Diaprejies nliln-erialua is recorded as attacking young 

 potato plants whieh had followed canes badly attacked by 

 this pest. The grubs bored into the stems behiw ground, 

 with the result that the plants so attacked were killed. This 

 shows the danger of using sweet potatoes as a rotation crop 

 after suear-cane; a crop such as cotton or cassava, which is 

 less liable to attack by the root borer, is recommended. 



The leaf -hopper {Peregrimi" ntaiiliK, Ashm.\ was taken 

 on sorghum leaves during the period under review. 



MlscKLr.ANEous, A number of insects are referred to 

 under this heading, with short notes on their habits. These 

 insects are given in the list of lUrbados insects referred to 

 above. The finding of a species of I'eripatus is mentioned. 

 An account of this interesting animal appeared in the 

 Afifiniltural Xews for June 10,' 1911 (Vol. .\, No. 2.^8). 

 This will be referred to again at an early date. 



J.C.H. 



DEMAND FOR FISH SKINS. 



In a note in the Agricultural News for October (>, 1917, 

 p. 31.'f, on industries in the (_"aicos Islands, mention was made 

 of the utilization there of shirk skins for making leather, 

 which was said to be of good quality. Fnim a letter received by 

 the Imperial (,'ommissioner of Agriculture from the American 

 Consul in Barbados, enclosing one from merchants in Nesv 

 \'ork, it would seem as if there were possibilities of some 

 trade from these islands in fish skins of various kinds. 



The merchants in questinn, Messrs. H, S. Bcrner i Co., 

 of 2.'>, Beaver Street, New ^'ork, write that they are prepared 

 to deal with regular monthly shipments of large (ptantitics 

 of fish skins such as sharks, (Kirpoisei. whales, stingrays and 

 cither large lisli skins without scales They would contract 

 for regular shipments of several thnusand per month of these, 

 or all they could get, if they could obtiin an idea as to the 

 (piantity which could be su|)plied. I'efoic ordering such large 

 quantities they request that samples of the skins which might 

 be supi>lied be sent to them, in order that they might see 

 which would suit their purpose Ivich skin of such 

 samples should be marked so that they may state the 

 ipiantities recjuired of approved sorts. Tlie skins must be 

 large, preferably 4 feet in lenath or more. Small skins 

 cannot be u.sed very well, so the larger the better. They can 

 also use whale intestines, for which they p\y .Sc. to 4c.' 

 a 111., c.i f. in New Vork, for any quantity they cm get.' 

 Directions are given for the prepiration and [ncking tit tile 

 skins or intestines. 



Messrs. H. S. IVrner itCo- also state that in the sample 

 shipment might be included a few skins of large lish with 



