INSECT ENEMIES OE THE CODLLXG AlUTEl IN SOUTH 

 AFRICA AND THEIR RELATION 'J'O ITS CONTROL. 



'Bv F. \V. Eettkv, B.A., Ph.D. (Cornell). 



Plates XIX-XX. 



Read July 1 1. 1919- 



Bairstow, in the " Cape Agricultural Journal " (1893), vol. 6, 

 pp. 82-84, reported having bred an Ichneumon fly, Pccomachus 

 nov. sp.. in a breeding cage containing codling infested pears 

 and apples. This is the earliest report of a parasite of C. 

 pomonella in South Africa. Lounsbury mentions having bred 

 Pimpla hcHophila Cam. and Hymoiohosmina pomoiielhr Cam. 

 from codling larv.'e in 1906. The Spanish parasite, Calliephialtes 

 mcssor, was brought by Air. C. W. Mally from California to 

 South Africa in 1907. In 1909 both Mr. Lounsbury and Mr. 

 Mally found an egg' parasite of Carpocapsa pomonella, which 

 ultimately was named Trichograinmatoidea Inlca Girault. 



In the study of the codling moth at Elsenburg and Sauer's 

 orchard the following insects were discovered to be of assistance 

 in controlling the codling moth : — (i) Predaceous — Gryllidce: 

 Liogryllus himaciihitus Geer. Rechiviidie: Pirates sp., Coranns 

 paplllosns Thunb. Pentatomidae : Diploxys Iwstata Fabr. Cara- 

 bidse : Chlccnlits dichrons Wied. Formicidas : Dorylus helvohis, 

 Iridomyrme.v niiniilis Mayr. (2) Parasitic — Chalcidoidea : 

 Trichograyumatoidca lutea Girault, Chalcis sp. Ichneumonidse : 

 Pimpla hcliophila Cam., Trichniiiona carinivcntris Cam., Piiupla 

 sp. 



The Egg Parasite, Trichogramynatoidca liitca Girault. 



History. — Among the several parasitic enemies of the codling 

 moth in South Africa there is only one of great importance in 

 the control of this insect, namely, the Chalcid, Trichogram- 

 matoidca lutea. This parasite was discovered by Mr. Claude 

 Fuller in 1901 to breed in the eggs of the so-called Natal codling 

 moth, Eiiannoiiia bafrachopa, a native insect injurious to oranges 

 in Natal and the Transvaal. In 1909 Mr. Lounslmry and Mr. 

 Mally bred this egg parasite from codling moth eggs in Con- 

 stantia and Uitenhage. Mr. J. C. Faure bred the parasite from 

 codling eggs in the Free State in 1917. Consequently the 

 writer infers that the insect is now distributed generally over 

 South Africa. 



Girault, of the University of Illinois, found that this parasite 

 was a new species of the family Trichogrammatidae, and gave 

 it the above-mentioned name in 191 1. The original description 

 may be found in the " Transactions of the American 

 Entomological Society'' (1911^, vol. 37, p\). 19-22. 



