CONTROL OF LANTANA 413 



were sent to Perkins in Honolulu, and of these 8 were successfully 

 established (vide Perkins and Swezey, 1924). Each of these 8 

 species attacks the Lantana in a somewhat different way. The 

 most effective appears to be the Tortricid moth Crocidosema 

 lantana Busck., whose larvae bore into the flower stems and 

 consume the flowers and fruit. The larvae of the seed-fly Agromyza 

 lantance Frogg. attack large numbers of the ripening berries, 

 either destroying the seeds or causing the berries to shrivel up on 

 the bushes. The Tingid bug Teleonemia lantance Dist. destroys 

 the young leaves so effectively that extensive areas of Lantana 

 are checked in growth and fail to blossom. The larvae of the 

 Trypaneid gall-fly Eutreta xanthochwta Aid. to some extent check 

 the growth of new shoots. The larvae of the plume moth Platyptilia 

 pusillidactyla Walk, destroy many of the flowers in very much 

 the same manner as those of the Tortricid already referred to ; 

 on the whole it appears to be less efficient than the latter insect. 

 The Tineid leaf-miner Cremastobomhycia lantanella Busck. is of 

 minor importance, but its larvae when abundant cause the death 

 of the leaves, and to some extent restrain the vigour of the plant. 

 Finally, two species of Lycaenid butterflies Thecla echion L. and 

 T. bazochii God. are important, since their larvae destroy a great 

 many of the flowers, and thus restrain the production of the 

 berries. Unfortunately the Chalcid Pantarthron flavum Perk, 

 parasitises the eggs of the Theclas to some extent, while, on the 

 other hand, the larvae of T. echion have proved not entirely 

 harmless to garden plants, being occasionally found feeding on 

 fruits of the egg-plant. The most valuable of the insects just 

 enumerated are those which inhibit seed production, and the 

 result has been that the spread of the plant has been greatly 

 checked, and it does not so readily re-infest land from which it 

 had been previously eradicated. Although the work of repressing 

 Lantana has been materially lightened by these introductions, the 

 control of that plant can only be regarded as having been partially 

 accomplished, and it is possible that the colonisation of other 

 insects will be attempted in the future. 



Control of Prickly Pear. In Australia the area infested by 

 prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) is estimated to amount to 60,000,000 



