13^6 INSECTS ETC., INJURIOUS TO VARIOUS CROPS 



great havoc in 191 2 in the districts of Cairns and Mossman ; 13) Skipper but- 

 terfly {Paritara mathias Fab., fam. Hesperidae), the larvae of which were 

 seen gnawing the leaves of the canes at Harvey's Creek in December 1914 ; 

 14) Telicota aiigias krcfftiMacl. (fam. Hesperidae) and Padraona marnas Feld. 

 (fam. Hesperidae) , the larvae of which were sometimes observed in the planta- 

 tions at Babinda ; 15) Grass worm {Chusaris rhodias Turner, fam. Noctui- 

 dae) attacked leaves at Gordonvale on the 2nd September 1914 ; 16) Web 

 worm {Harmologa miserana Walk. (?), fam. Tortricidae), at Pyramid, towards 

 the end of October 1914, was observed on the rhizomes of the cane ; 

 17) Browntail moth {Euproctis holoxutha Turner, fam. Liparidae) , occasion- 

 ally attacks the foliage ; 18) Plant eating beetle {Rhyparida morosa Jac, fam. 

 Chrysomelidae) ; its usual host is assumed to be blady-grass [Imperata arun- 

 dinacea), which, however, is disappearing little by little owing to the ex- 

 tension of cultivation ; the insect, thus forced to seek its food alsewhere, be- 

 gan to attack the sugar cane ; the savanna and heath fires, usually ignited 

 every year, effectively help to prevent excessive development and spread of 

 this parasite ; 19) Colasposoma sellatum Balj^ Rhyparida didyma Fab. 

 (fam. Chrysomelidae) and the leaf eating weevil {Stenocorynus aridus Pasc, 

 fam. Cnrcidionidae) are rather rare and economically unimportant ; 

 20) Aphis sacchari Zehn., A. adusta Zehn. (fam. Aphididae), Tetigonia par- 

 thaonn. sp. Kirk (fam. Tetigoniidae), Perkinsiella saccharicida Kirk. (fam. 

 Asiracidae), Aleurodes berghi Sign., snow fly (fam. Alenridae) , Ripersia sp. 

 (fam. Coccidae) and Pseudococcus [calceolariae Mask?) (fam. Coccidae) cause 

 more or less damage to plants, of which they suck the leaves ; 21) Lepidiota 

 alhohirta Waterh., L. jrenchi Blackb., L. rothei Blackb., L. caudata Blackb., 

 L. /roggatti Mad. (fam. Melolonthidae); Dasygnaihus aiisfralis dejeani Macl., 

 Xylotrupes australicHs Thomp., Isodon puncHcollis Macl. (fam. Dynastidae); 

 Cacachroa decorticata Macl. (fam. Cetoniidae); Anoplognatus hoisduvali Boisd. 

 (fam. Anoplognatidae) and Anomala australasiae Blackb. (fam. R^tiellidae) 

 attacks the roots of the cane ; the most formidable among these latter 

 insects is undoubtedly Lepidiota alhohirta. To control it light traps are 

 used and also arsenical compounds with some success. 



1049 - Nys/us viniior, a Hemipterous Pest in Australia. — i'roggat \x. w., m 



Agricultural Gazette nf New South Wales, Vol. XXVII, 4th Part, pp. 270-272. Sydne}-, 191 6. 



The Rutherglen bug {Nysius vinitor Berg) which appeared in dense 

 clouds throughout the territory of New South Wales, South Australia and 

 the State of Victoria, has caused much injury there to orchards, seed plots 

 and even garden flowers (1915-1916). 



■ The presence of this insect in a potato and tomato field is immediately 

 revealed b}- the fall and yellowing of the leaves, and rapid destruction of 

 the fruits. Peaches and apricots are attacked in all stages of growth and 

 spoilt by the numerous holes which Nysiiis opens in the skin in order to 

 draw out the pulp juices. 



The following means of control are advised : i) destroA'ing by fire the 

 grass prairies amid which the insect lays its eggs, and from which the first 

 migrating columns which invade cultivated lands start ; 2) applying an 

 infusion of tobacco and soap ; when the insect is in the early stages of deve- 



