394 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Decembkr IT), 190G. 



we ascribe the eagerness of the solitary wasp to impulse or 

 instinct, and we exterminate their numerous species from the 

 face of the earth for ever, without even seeking to make 

 a prior acquaintance with them. Meanwhile our economists 

 and moralists devote their volumes to admiration of the 

 progress of the civilization that effects this destruction and 

 tolerates this negligence.' 



INSECT NOTES. 



Digger Wasps. 



During a recent visit to Nevis, the Entomolojrist 

 on the statt'ofthe Imperial Department of Agriculture 

 observed two species of digger wasps visiting the 

 flowers of an acacia tree. 



While at Richmond Lodge estate Mr. Rallou's attention 

 was attracted by the unu.sual sight of hundreds of wasps of two 

 species of the family FoinpUUIae visiting the flowers of an 

 acacia tree growing in the estate yard. It is not unusual for 

 these insects to visit flowers, but he had not seen them before 

 in large numbers about a single tree, as in this instance. 



The Pompiliihu are a family of the digger wasps or 

 Fossores, the various West Indian species being known as 

 fever bees, probably on account of the very painful sting of 

 the females, which is said to produce fever. They are 

 solitary wasps, that i.s, each female builds her nest by herself, 

 lays her eggs and stores the nest-cells with food for her young. 

 The two species under discussion belong to the group 

 which make their nests in burrows in the ground, and store 

 them with spiders. The spiders are stung in such a way as 

 to be paralyzed, but not killed ; consequently, although they 

 cannot move, the young wasp grubs find fresh live food in the 

 nest. 



The two insects found about the acacia tree in Nevis are 

 large, spreading about 2 inches across the wings. The legs 

 are very long and fitted for running on the ground. One of 

 them has a dark, velvety, bluish body, reddish wings, and 

 dark antennae, while the other has a bluish body, with 

 greenish reflections, greenish wings, and pale-yellow antennae. 

 They are very striking in appearance, whether seen flying, 

 walking, or at flowers. 



The natural history of the digger wasps is of great 

 interest, and accounts that have been published of the 

 methods of the different species in capturing their prey, in 

 making burrows, etc., indicate that these insects possess an 

 uncommon amount of energy, and remarkable instincts. 



The following is taken from the account of the Foxsores 

 given in the Cambridge Natural History, Insects, by 

 Mr. David Sharp, F.R.S. :— 



'The great variety in the habits of the species, 

 extreme industry, skill, and self-denial they display 

 carrying out their voluntary labours, render them one of 

 most instructive groups of the animal kingdom. There 

 no social or gregarious forms : they are true individualists, 

 and their lives and instincts offer many subjects for reflection. 

 Unlike the social insects, they can learn nothing whatever 

 from either example or precept. The skill of each individual 

 is prompted by no imitation. The life is short; the later 

 stages of the individual life are totally different from the 

 earlier; the individuals of one generation only in rare ca.ses 

 see even the commencement of the life of the next ; the 

 progeny, for the benefit of which they labour with unsurpas.s- 

 able skill and industry, being unknown to them. Were such 

 a solicitude displayed by ourselves, we should connect it with 

 a high sense of duty, and poets and moralists would vie in its 

 laudation. Rut having dubbed ourselves the higher animals, 



the 



in 



the 



are 



Scale Insects on Cotton. 



The black shield scale {Lccnnium 'nigrum) is 

 again reported as doing considerable damage to cotton 

 fields in Barbados. 



Accounts of attacks of this and other scale insects on 

 cotton have a[ipeared in the publications of the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture ( West Inilian Bulletin, Vol. VI, 

 p. 128, and Agricultural JS'ews, Vol. V, p. 42). 



In each case so far reported and investigated, it has been 

 found that serious injury has resulted only when some source 

 of infection has been allowed to exist near the cotton field. 

 In one instance, the source of infection was a badly attacked 

 hibiscus hedge ; in other cases, cotton slightly infested has 

 been ratooned, and new crops of cotton have been planted in 

 the adjoining fields. 



Scale insects frequently occur in cotton fields without 

 doing much damage, but it is always wrong to plant cotton 

 in the immediate vicinity of any known source of infection. 

 Scale-infested cotton should be cut and burned and not be 

 allowed to stand Until the neighbouring fields are attacked. 

 Cultural methods are often far more valuable than remedial, 

 and in dealing with insect pests it is well to remember the old 

 .saying : ' An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.' 



Trapping Cotton Moths. 



Mr. H. A. Tempany has forwarded fur publication 

 the following account of a method adopted in Antigua 

 by Mr. Warneford for trapping cotton moths : — 



His method of working consists of standing plates of 

 a mixture of molasses and cane vinegar in the middle of his 

 cotton fields at a height of about 3 feet from the ground, and 

 collecting the moths from the plates the first thing everj' 

 morning. At pre.sent he uses one plate to every acre of 

 cotton. Mr. Vrarneford tells me that in about three weeks he 

 trapped 9,000 months by this method. I went to his estate 

 early one morning last week and saw the process at work. 

 Two plates that I examined each contained from thirty to 

 forty moths and apparently all were the cotton moth (Aletia 

 (uyiUticen). Mr. Warneford thinks that the method has had 

 a distinct effect in lessening the attacks of the caterpillars on 

 his cotton. 



Mr. Holborrow has also tried this method and reports 

 equally good results. 



Gebang Palm in Dominica. The Curator of the 

 Rotanic Station in Dominica writes : ' A fine specimen of 

 the Gebang palm of Java {Cori/}}ha G'eljan</n) has lately 

 flowered and is now ripening its fruits at the St. Aroment 

 estate, Donnnica. The plant was sent from Kew many years 

 ago. While this s])ecies cannot rival its close ally, the 

 Talipot palm of Ceylcn {Cori/pka umhraruUfern), it is 

 nevertheless a grand palm, and as it appears to be rare in the 

 Lesser Antilles, this opportunity should be taken to 

 propagate it. Dr. Nicholls has placed the seed at the dispo.sal 

 of the Agricultural Department, and it will shortly be ready 

 for distribution. A good specimen of the Gebang palu', ten 

 years old, can be .seen in the Rotanic Station.' 



