652 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



important insect pests occurring in St. Lucia during the year ended March 31, 

 1914. 



Insect pests in 1914, R. S. MacDotjgall (Trans. Highland and Agr. Soc. 

 Scot, 5. ser., 27 (1915), pp. 211-237, figs. 20).— This is the annual report of the 

 occurrence of the more important pests of the year (E. S. R., 31, p. 648). 



Report of the entomological division of the Salgir Experimental Station 

 of Horticulture, 1913-14, S. Mokrzhetskii and A. Bragina (Otchct Ent. 

 Kab. SaJgirsk. Opytn. Plod. Sta., 1913-14, pp. 5).— This division was estab- 

 lished with a view to investigating fruit insects and their control. 



During 1913, 19.5 per cent of the codling moth caterpillars were parasitized 

 by tachinids. Trichogramma fasciatiim (cmhryophagxis) and T. scmblidis have 

 been found to parasitize the eggs of Barathra (Mamcstra) brassicce, Plusia sp., 

 Pieris rapce, etc., in the Crimea. Twenty-five generations of T. fasciatiim were 

 reared without any males having been observed. At the optimum temperature 

 of 32° C. (89.6° F.) the life cycle from the deposition of the egg to the appear- 

 ance of the adult took place in less tlian eight days. 



The gipsy moth, which appeared in great numbers in the Crimea in 1913. was 

 followed by a parasitism by tachinids of about 2-5 per cent, and llacherie 

 destroyed 10 per cent. A large part of those which succeeded in pupating were 

 also parasitiziHl by tachinid-s. 



Several other insects are also mentioned. 



[Report of the entomologist], W. W. Fboggatt (Rpt. Dcpt. Agr. N. S. Wales, 

 1914^ PP- 33-36). — A brief report of the occurrence of and work with insects 

 of the year. Thrips tabaci, which apiieared in large numbers throughout the 

 east and middle areas of the State, is said to have been the most important 

 pest of the year of horticultural crops. 



Report of the entomologist, A. lirTHERKouD dipt. Dcpt. Agr. Vcyton, 1912-13, 

 pp. 9-12). — This report upon the occurrence of and work with insects deals with 

 the subject imder the headings of pests of tea, rubber, cacao, coconut, rice, 

 cotton, citrus, etc. 



Report of the entomologist, A. Kctiierkord (Rpt. Dcpt. Agr. Ceylon, 1914, 

 pp. 12-17). — This annual reix>rt deals largely with the occurrence of the more 

 important insects of the year in Ceylon. 



Some minor pests of tea recently reported, A. Rxjtherford (Trop. Agr. 

 [Ceylon], 43 (1914), No. 6, pp. 440-44^)- — Several minor pests of tea here men- 

 tioned are Euproctis sp., a small weevil (Astycus immnnis), a capsid (Calli- 

 cratidcs rama), two coreids (Riptortiis pcdcstris and 7\. fusciis), a species of 

 Heliothrips, the soft scale, the hemispherical scale, Ripcrsia tlucr n. sp., etc. 



Theory of toxicity, C. W. Woodworth (-lour. Econ. Ent., 8 (1915), No. 6, 

 pp. 509-512. fig. 1). — "The theory of toxicity which this .study enables us to 

 put forward is (1) that there are three .separate effects producetl by a poison, 

 depending on its concentration; (2) that there is a line of deviation beyond 

 which their characteristics become most evident; (3) that acute poi.soning 

 reaches a crisis, after which the rate of death rapidly declines; and (4) that 

 these phenomena exhibit a series of very definite mathematical relationship.s." 



A new mixture for controlling wood-boring insects, sodium arsenate- 

 kerosene emulsion, F. C. Craighead (Jour. Evan. Ent., 8 (1915). Xn. 6. p. 

 513). — The author finds that kerosene emulsion to which is added a 5 to 10 per 

 cent solution of sodium arsenate will penetrate the wood and galleries and 

 kill borers. In living and seasoned wood the frass in larval mines Is often 

 penetrated to a distance of from 10 to 12 in. Tests made on Goes mines in 

 living trees showed that by painting the holes where the boring dust is exuded 

 this solution quickly ascends along the sides of the burrow and through the 

 frass, killing the larvfe in a few days. 



