42 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



January 31, 1914. 



INSECT NOTES. 



SUMMARY OF ENTOMOLOGICAL INFOR- 

 MATION IN THE YEAR 1913. 

 H. 



In the last issue of the 4{/^'culiural News, information 

 jrtesented during 1913 on insect pests of sugar-cane was 

 summarized. In the following article, those of cotton, citrus 

 fruits, and other pests are dealt with. 



COTTON. 



The discovery of the leaf-blister mite of cotton in Barbados 

 during 1912 is referred to on page 58. The account of cotton 

 pests in St. Croix (p. 394) is of interest. The principal 

 pest in that island was the boll worm (Heliothis olisoleta) with 

 ■which were associated at least four similar insects, including 

 Frodenia wnithogalli and P. latifascia. A very consider- 

 able degree of succe.ss was reported from the use of traps of 

 molasses for catching the moths of the boll worm. The 

 cotton stainer {Di/sdercus aiidreae), the leaf blister mite, 

 and the green stink bug {Ne^.ai'a virklula) were all present 

 5n sufficient numbers to be regarded as pests. 



In Antigua (see p. 250) the flower-bud maggot appeared 

 in the cotton fields at the end of 1912 (December 29). 

 ZBoll worm was present on two estates, on one of which it 

 ~was the cause of a considerable amount of damage, the 

 severity of the attack being increased by the presence of 

 Indian corn in the cotton fields. 



The pests of cotton in the United States were mentioned 

 in the account of Mr. Bodkin's visit (see p. 362) where will 

 te found a brief statement of the economic importance of the 

 toll weevil and mention of several other insects which attack 

 the cotton crop. On page 314, a short article on the cotton 

 boll worm in the United States during 1912 deals with the 

 spread of that insect. It is shown that although the boll 

 Tiveevil lost ground in certain parts of the country in 1912, 

 the net increase of infested territory during that year 

 amounted to 7,300 sq. miles. 



or.a.nc;e8 ano lime.s. 



The lime twig borer {Elapltidion iiii/e, Newm.) was first 

 reported at Antigua toward the end of 1912 (see p. 90). It 

 was thought at that time that this was a serious pest capable 

 of inflicting much injury to the lime trees. This insect is 

 one of the longicorn beetles. The egg is laid in or on the 

 twig, the larva tunnels through this and then penetrates into 

 a larger branch, girdling it in such a manner that it breaks 

 but does not fall to the ground. If the broken branches are 

 collected and burned at frequent intervals, most of the 

 borers will be destroyed in this way Although a newly 

 recorded pest of limes, this insect is a native of the West 

 Indies, being known to occur in St. Kitts, St. Bartholomew, 

 St. Thomas and Guadeloupe. 



The orange moth in I'ominica (see p. 378) is also a new 

 pest; it was first reported in 1907. In 1908-9 spraying with 

 arsenate of lead was reported to be a satisfactory means of 

 control, and it was not again brought to the notice of this 

 Department until 1913. Although a considerable amount of 

 injury has resulted from the attacks of this insect, the moth 

 itself is not well known. Only a few specimens have as yet 

 been procured, none of them in sutliciently good condition 

 for study, with the result that up to the present time the 

 identity of the moth has not been determined. It appears, 

 however, to be related to the Codling moth which attacks 

 apples in temperate countries, and to the Natal Codling moth 

 ■which in that colony attacks oranges, among other fruits. 



In Antigua (p. 250), limes suffered severely from attacks 

 of the California red scale {ChryisomphaluK [Aspidiotus[ 

 aurantii) which were more severe than usual on account of 

 the long drought which was experienced in that island during 

 the first part of the year 1912. 



In California (see p. 346) the principal pests of citrus, 

 fruits were the black scale (Saissetia okae), the red scale 

 (Chrysomphalus aurantii) Ani. the purple scale {Lejndosapliff 

 beckii). Artificial control measures, such as fumigation and 

 spraying, are carried' out against these insects, while the 

 natural enemies of certain of them have proved of great value 

 in the matter of natural control. 



The corn ear worm {Lapthygma Jmqiperda) appeared ira 

 British Guiana as a severe pest of rice, and this insect formed 

 the subject of an article in the British Guiana Journal of 

 Agriculture which was abstracted in Insect Notes on p. 234. 

 It is of wide distribution and is known to attack a number of 

 plants, the chief of which in the West Indies are corn and 

 cotton. A curious instance of parasitism was also mentioned 

 in this article. 



Miscellaneous. 



TICKS. On page 330 an account was given of 'How Ticks 

 are Killed in Dipping', being an abstract of an article which 

 appeared in the Agricultural Journal of the Union of Sonify 

 Africa. It is here shown that the poison of the cattle dips is 

 absorbed by the skin of the animals, and afterwards taken up 

 by the ticks by suction, along with their food, that is, the 

 body juices of the cattle. 



Ticks in the United States were mentioned at page 362 

 where reference is made to a demonstration dipping tank 

 built of concrete at the Louisiana Experiment Station. The 

 dipping solution used in this connexion contained white 

 arsenic, washing soda, pine tar and water, but the proportion.'* 

 of the several ingredients were not given. 



BLACK WITCH OR TICK BIRD. In the first number of 

 the volume (see p. 10) the insect notes consisted of an 

 article on the tick bird {Croiophaga ani), which occurs in 

 several of the West Indian islands, and which, on account of 

 its useful habit of eating many kinds of insects and cattle 

 ticks, it was thought might well be introduced into those 

 where it at present does not exist. 



MILLIONS. The small fish known as mWWons, (Girardinus 

 poeciloides) which has been used as a destroyer of mosquito 

 larvae under certain conditions was successfully transporte«S 

 from Barbados to Kuala Lumpur, something like 1,000 

 living fish reaching their destination. (See p. 330.) 



FRUIT FLIES. The insects known as fruit Hies wer& 

 dealt with in an article which appeared at page 410. It was 

 based on an article from the Journal of Econoimc Ento- 

 mologi/ and contained a list of food plants of fruit flies ia 

 Hawaii, many of which occur commonly in these islands. 

 It seems certain that if any of the important fruit flies 

 should be introduced into the West Indies they would find 

 suitable food plants in sufficient number to enable them to 

 establish themselves without difficulty. 



This account will be continued in the next issue of the 

 Agricultural News. 



A note appears in the MonUdy BidUtin of Agricultural 

 Intelligence and Plant Diseases (October 1913), to the effect 

 that a disease of papaw trees was reported from Cleveland in 

 Queensland in May, and was found to be due to a well-known 

 insect pest, Dichorrocis punctiferalis. Though primarily a 

 maize pest, this insect appears to be extending its ravages to 

 fruit trees, reports having already been received of its 

 damaging custard apples, oranges, peaches, loquats, cotton and 

 other fruit and seeds. 



