[6H Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



NOTES FROM THE DIVISIONS. 



])IVISIOX UF ENTOMOLOGY. 



Au.stralidn IJiuj. — About thirty years ago tlie Australian Lug or 

 Dorthesia (Iceri/d imrchnxi) was a frightful pest to citrus trees, roses. 

 and certain other plants in parts of the Cape Province. It had 

 reached Capetown from Anstralia in 187''^), and gradually increased 

 and spread. In 1892 the so-called A'edalia ladybird (Novius 

 cardinniis) was introduced and the pest was sp'eedily subjugated. 

 Ever since, however, there have been local outbreaks of the bug here 

 and there all over the country, and a close search in almost any large 

 garden or orchard in which grow any of the most favoured food plants 

 of the insect will disclose its presence in small numbers. The 

 Vedalia, and to a minor extent certain native lad3^birds, soon find the 

 occurrence unaided and practically extinguish them ; but every year 

 apprehension of trees being hilled leads to a number of urgent appeals 

 for ladybirds being- made to the Government. Tlie bug* is generally 

 far more prevalent along- the Witwatersrand thirn anywhere else in 

 the country, a circumstance associated with the 'lio-h altitude and the 

 abundance of trees favourable to the insect. In the warmer parts of the 

 country the Yedalia appears to keep actively after the bug through- 

 out the winter, while in the high veld it is rarely much in evidence 

 except at midsummer, and the bug breeds for months with little 

 molestation. For reasons not very clear the bug was much less 

 common around Johannesburg in the 1918-19 season than for years 

 previously ; and it was far more prevalent in Pretoria through the 

 winter and spring of 1919 than at any time since Union, and probably 

 ever before. The season was particularly dry, aiid a few black wattle 

 street trees succumbed to the combined weakening effect of the insect 

 and the drought. Many scores of black wattle and jacaranda trees 

 were quite heavily infested, and not a few of the latter kind of tree 

 seemed to suffer seriously from the attack. The Vedalia seemed 

 absent through the winter and spring, but as summer came on it 

 showed up everywhere, and in a feAV weeks suppressed the outbreak 

 and then quickly dropped out of sight again. In early December 

 thousands of the ladybird in all stages could be collected in an hour 

 or so, where in January it Avas hard to find any at all. The Division 

 for some time has been endeavouring to have colonies of the ladyl)ird 

 reach Ceylon and Brazil alive in order to suppress outbreaks of the 

 bug in those countries. There is hope that success luis attended recent 

 shipments. 



Tohacco Leaf Beetle. — Tobacco groAvers throughout South Africa 

 are asked to be on the watch for, and to report to the Division of 

 Entomology, the presence on growing tobacco of a slender yellow and 

 black striped beetle about one quarter inch in length AAhicli develops 



