EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 155 



ENTOMOLOGY. 



Report of the entomologist, D. T. Fullaway (Hawaii Sta. Rpt. 1911, pp. 

 17-24, figs. Jf). — This report consists principally of notes on insects attacking 

 leguminous crops, including the pigeon pea (Cajanus indicus), cowpea (Vigna 

 catjang), jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) , velvet beans {Mucwm priniens), 

 soy bean (Glycine hispida), peanut (Arachis hypogwa), sweet clover (Melilotus 

 officinalis), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa), especial attention having been 

 given to the enemies of the pigeon pen. 



The army worm (Heliophila unipuncta) sometimes devastates large fields 

 of alfalfa before it can be brought under control by its natural enemies, and 

 extensive plantings of jack beans have been made waste by Spodoptera mauri- 

 tia, another common army worm. The foliage of legumes is often badly eaten 

 by certain leaf-rollers, Omiodes monogona, Amorbia emigratella, and Archips 

 postvittanus, and by the looper, Plusia chalcitcs, but the damage they inflict 

 is apparently not great except in the case of 0. monogona, which, so far as is 

 known, feeds exclusively on legumes. It, however, is subject in turn to the 

 attacks of parasites which keep it fairly well in check. Limnerium bJackburni 

 and Chalcis ohscurata have been bred from O. monogona. The plant louse 

 which attacks legumes is thought to be Aphis gossypii. "The larvse of the 

 syrphid fly. Xanthograminu grandivornis, and of the agromyzid, Leucopis nigri- 

 cornis, also prey on aphids and are usually found where aphids are abundant. 

 . . . The cottony cushion or fluted scale. /«///« piircfiusi, which, while nor- 

 mally controlled by Norius cardinalis, sometimes becomes very abundant and 

 does considerable damage before the ladybirds become numerous enough to 

 clean it out. . . . Mealy bugs, embracing several species, infest legumes, nota- 

 bly Pseudococctis longispinus, P. citri, P. virgutits, and P. flamentosus, but do 

 little apparent damage and are usually controlled by their parasites and pre- 

 dators. The first 3 species have been noticed on pigeon pea and the last more 

 especially on clover. The flat scale, Saiftaetia olcw, is common on pigeon pea 

 and crotalaria. The leaves of most of the cultivated legumes, and some other 

 plants as well, are mined Ity the larv;e of Agrnmyza diminutn.'' It is thought 

 that this miner will never be a serious pest since it is effectively parasitized 

 by the eulophids Omphalc nictaUicus and Pcdiobius sp. The bean pod borer, 

 a caterpillar of the common butterfly Lycana bo'tica, is thought to be the most 

 injurious insect attacking legumes, and notes on its life history are presented. 



" The dry pods and seeds of legumes are attacked in storehouses and some- 

 what in the field by certain insects which habitually feed on stored products, 

 notably bruchid weevils. . . . Bntchus chinensis and B. prosopis have been bred 

 from seeds of the pigeon pea, B. chinensis from seeds of the cowpea, and B. 

 prosopis and Caryoborus gonagra from seeds of keawe (Prosopis juli/lora). 

 The ptinid beetle Catorama mexicana has been bred from seed of the velvet 

 bean, and the common coffee bean-weevil (Arcecerus fasciculatus) from pigeon 

 pea seed stored and in the field." 



The minor pests observed include Trichothrips nigricans, which is abundant 

 in the blossoms of the pigeon pea ; Xiphidium varipenne, which sometimes feeds 

 on legumes, but is largely carnivorous in habit; a red spider (Tetranychus sp.), 

 noticed on the foliage; and bostrychids, which bore the broken stems. Ob- 

 servations of the capsid bug Hyalopeplus pellucidus failed to show any 

 predatory inclination as previously reported to be the case. 



Brief notes are also given on the occurrence and habits of the Mediterranean 

 fruit fly. 



51193°— 12 5 



