149 



plete, very few of tliem pass the ordeal unscathed. No doubt 

 some fungus or fungi are at work upon Vanilla in Kona. Con- 

 sidering that Vanilla has been introduced into Hawaii from 

 practically all its other homes and that no precaution against 

 the introduction of its disease has been tak^^n, it would have 

 been surprising if none had been brought in. 



RELATION OF LANTANA INSECTS TO OTHER VEGETATION. 



Owing to the onslaught of the lantana insects introduced by 

 Mr. Koebele, this plant presents a very pitiable aspect indeed, 

 especially after a protracted drought upon the leeward side of 

 hills and Islands. The Tingid above referred to has during the 

 last year increased to such multitudes that beside occurring 

 in large numbers upon each lantana leaf, is frequently ob- 

 served, though in small numbers, upon vegetation in the vi- 

 cinity, whither it is probably either blown by the wind or 

 strays accidentally. Being so abundant the number of such ac- 

 cidental wanderings is naturally quite large. These accidents 

 are probably as common to the lantana seed fly and the moth 

 of the lantana leaf miner as they are with the Tingid, but the 

 latter is an insect that moves about deliberately and does not 

 fly away very readily, as do the other two, in consequence of 

 which it remains longer under the observation of the layman. 

 While the lantana seed fly undoubtedly occurs in vastly larger 

 numbers than even the Tingid, yet the latter is much more 

 frequently observed and is forming a stock in the layman's 

 knowledge of insects. Under the circumstances it is natural 

 that the Tingid should be regarded with suspicion by persons 

 not otherwise informed. So far not one of the lantana in- 

 sects introduced by Mr. Koebele has under my observation, 

 or to my knowledge, under the observation of any of the other 

 entomologists in Hawaii, been found to attack plants other 

 than lantana. Even the Tingid, while it occurs quite freely 

 on other plants, and in my belief will bear watching, has 

 never been observed to injure other plants. At the same 

 time there are many other causes that produce eifeets upon 

 vegetation similar to those of the Tingid. I found in Kona, 

 for example, a number of plants, particularly the leaves of the 



