ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY ENTOMOLOGY. 655 



Some insects injurious to truck crops. — Notes on various truck-crop 

 insects, F. H. Chittenden (U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Ent. Bui. 82, pt. 1, pp. 83-93, 

 fig. 1 ) . — In notes on the natural enemies of the Colorado potato beetle mention 

 is made of several insect enemies, niimQly, Pterosticlius lucublandus, Apateticus 

 (Podisus) marginiventris, Perilloides {Perillus) bioculatt^s, and Euthyrhynchus 

 floridanus, and of several wild bird enemies and guinea fowls. Notes follow on 

 the potato stalk-borer, maggots {Lonchcca lotigicornis, Euxesta nitidiventris, and 

 E. thomce) affecting yams in the South, notes on the feeding habits of blister 

 beetles (Epicaiita spp.), and notes on beau and pea weevils, including their 

 European nomenclature. 



Insects attacking the sweet potato in Hawaii, D. T. Fullaway (Hawaii 

 Sta. Bui. 22, pp. 31, figs. 10). — The author here presents an account of the 

 chief injurious insects of the sweet potato in Hawaii, their life history, habits, 

 natural enemies, etc., with suggestions for their control. The sweet potato is 

 one of the most important vegetables grown in the Territory, being cultivated 

 everywhere in gardens and larger areas. 



The cutworms that have been reported to attack the sweet potato at times 

 have not been observed by the author. The sweet potato sphinx moth {Pro- 

 toparce convolvuli) often becomes destructive to wild Ipomcea vines, completely 

 stripping the foliage and is at times injurious to sweet potatoes. A parasite 

 (Pcntarthron semifuscatnm) assists in holding it in check. The sweet potato 

 leaf miner (Bedellia orchilella) is said to be fairly well held in check by a 

 chalcidid (Otnphale metallicus) , which parasitizes the larvae. The sweet potato 

 stem borer (Ompltisa anastomosalis), a species of apparently recent introduc- 

 tion from China, was first observed in Hawaii about 1900 since which time it 

 has been increasing and promises to be a serious pest if not checked by natural 

 enemies. An ichneumon fly (Pristomerus sp.) has been bred from the larva 

 but the extent to which it parasitizes the stem borer is not known. The sweet 

 potato leaf roller (Phlyctccnia despccta), which is common in the mountains 

 on wild species of Ipomcea, has recently been observed to attack sweet potato 

 plants. It feeds on the underside of the leaves, eating through to the epidermis 

 of the upper surface. While at times very injurious, it is usually well con- 

 trolled by parasites. The author has bred Limneriiim hlackhuriii from the 

 larvfe of these moths in great numbers. Chelonus ilackhurni and Chalcis oh- 

 scurata also have been bred by Perkins, and a common wasp, Odynerus nigripen- 

 nis, has been observed gathering the caterpillars. The tortricid leaf roller 

 Amorbki emigratclla, a pest known in Hawaii since 1900, is thought to have been 

 introduced from Mexico. The lai'vre have been found by the author on various 

 plants in addition to sweet potatoes. They are parasitized by Chalcis obscurnta. 



There are said to be 2 weevils that attack the tuber of the sweet potato in 

 Hawaii. The smaller species, which is thought to be the West Indian form 

 Cryptorhynchus batatw, is the commoner of the two, the author having found 

 it infesting sweet potatoes from Maui and Oahu, although not generally preva- 

 lent. The larger weevil, the widely distributed Cylas formicarius, is not very 

 common in Hawaii, though its occurrence at Lahainaluna, Maui, in 1907 brought 

 it into prominence. 



Several minor pests of the sweet potato mentioned are NesGsydne ipomoeicola 

 and Aloha ipommc, 2 common leaf hoppers: Plusia chalcites, which attacks the 

 foliage; a mealy bug (Pseudococcus sp.) ; a scale insect (Saissetia sp.) ; and 

 the Japanese beetle (AdoreUis tenuimaculatus). The leaf hoppers are highly 

 parasitized by Anagrus; Stylops, and Echthrodelphax and are of no importance 

 as pests. Plusia is not very destructive and is heavily parasitized by tachinid 

 flies. The coccids are of no great importance and the Japanese beetle only 



93315°— No. 7—11 5 



