374 BIOLOGICAL CONTROL 



avocardo, fig, mulberry, guava, coconut and other trees. Through 

 the efforts of H. T. Osborn, the Encyrtid parasite Pseudaphycus 

 utilis Tinib. was introduced from Mexico into Oahu in 1922. In 

 about two years the mealybug has been practically exterminated 

 and the rapidity of spread and the completeness of the parasitism 

 exercised by this Chalcid have been truly remarkable. 



The army worms Cirphis unipuncta (How.) and Spodophera 

 mauritia (Boisd.) have been troublesome for many years, especially 

 in sugar plantations adjacent to grass land. A number of parasites 

 have been introduced from time to time until the army worms 

 were w^ell controlled. Outbreaks to-day seldom occur in most of 

 the Islands, and not so often, or so extensively, on the island of 

 Hawaii, where they have been the most prevalent (Swezey). The 

 introduction of the Chalcid Euplectrus platyhypence How. and the 

 Tachinid Archytas cirphis Cur. by H. T. Osborn from Mexico in 

 1923 and 1924 had much to do with achieving this result. Several 

 other parasites, including the egg-parasite Telenomus nawaii Ashm. 

 from Japan, were also contributing factors. 



The Mediterranean fruit-fly, Ceratitis capitata Wied., was 

 discovered in the Islands in 1910, and had probably made its 

 entry a year or two previously from Australia. It spread rapidly 

 and severely attacked nearly all kinds of fruits of importance, 

 excepting banana and pineapple ; peach, mango and guava were 

 the worst infested, and sound fruits of these kinds became hard to 

 obtain. In 1912 Professor F. Silvestri was engaged by the 

 Hawaiian Board of Commissioners of Agriculture and Forestry 

 to search for fruit-fly parasites. Silvestri mainly concentrated 

 his efforts in Africa, but also visited Australia, and of the species 

 of parasites he brought to Honolulu, the Braconids Opius humilis 

 Silv. from South Africa and Diachasma tryoni Cam. from Australia 

 became effectively colonised. In 1914 the Territorial Government 

 commissioned D. T. Fullaway and J. C. Bridwell to visit West 

 Africa in order to endeavour to obtain other parasites. The result 

 of their efforts was that the Braconid Diachasma fullawayi Silv. 

 and the Chalcid Tetrastichus giffardianus Silv. were successfully 

 established. All four of the above-mentioned species are now 

 widely distributed through the Islands, and on an average from 



