68 2 Journal of Agriculture. [8 Nov., 1907. 



INSECT PESTS IN FOREIGN LANDS. 



Progress Report by Mr. TT'. TF. Froggatt, F.L.S. 



[Mr. Froggatt, Government Entomologist of New South Wales, has been sent 

 on a mission %}' the Ciovernments of Queensland, New South Wales, South Aus- 

 tralia, and Victoria to investigate the Fruit Fly and other insect pests and their 

 natural enemies in PZurope and America. The first of Mr. Froggatt's reports re- 

 ferring to his investigations ni the Hawaiian Islands is appended. — EniTOR.] 



]6th August, 1907. 



1 ha\-e the honour to report that I left Honolulu on the 14th inst. after 

 a stay of three weeks in the Hawaiian Islands and txpect to reach San- 

 Francisco on the 21st. During the time spent in Hawaii I visited and 

 worked on the three Experimental Stations — United States Experiment 

 Station of the Fer'eral Government, the Sugar Planters' Assiociation 

 Experiment Station, and that of the Bureau of Agriculture and Forestry 

 (Territorial). I am greatlv indebted to the officers of all the.se stations, but 

 especially to Mr. Jared Smith, Director and Mr. Van Dine, Entomologist 

 of the United States Experiment Station, who made arrangements for me to 

 see all the most interesting points, Mr. Van Dine going with me to several 

 districts. 



I ha\-e had a verv busv and very interesting time and studied under 

 natural conditions the leading insect problems of the islands, several of 

 which I will briefly note, and propose to later on give an extended report 

 for publication in the Agricultural Journals or Special Bulletins. Acting 

 on mv instruct:cn^, 1 de\"o'"ed a great d.tval of attention tO' the " Melon 

 Flv " (Dacus cucurbitcr), clo.seh allied to the Queensland Fruit Fly, a 

 pest that is said to ha\'e Ixen introduced from India, and which is now 

 widelv distributed and well established in all the islands of the grouj). 

 It attacks all kinds cf melons, cucumbers, string beans and tomatoes, but 

 has ne\'er been found in other fruits. The melons are attacked just when 

 the\ are formed, to the size of a hen's egg. The Japanese now cover each 

 voung fruit of the water melon up to this size with tissue paper, but rock 

 melon.? are attacked up to maturity. In many districts melons are not grown 

 and all melons are exoensive. The destruction of infested fruit would 

 probably check this i)est, l)ut there is no Vegetation Diseases Act in force in 

 these islands, except on the imi)ort of fruit. I have forwarded specimens 

 m all stages of development to Mr. Gurney, with other in:>ect pests. 



The question of parasites introduced by the Entomologist of the Sugar 

 Planters" Association on- the Lantana Scrub is a much more complicated 

 business, and I travelled oyer a great deal of country to see for myself 

 the actual conditions of the lantana and the insect pe:^ts that have been 

 introduced from ?\Iexico, America and India. It has been claimed that the 

 lantana is entirely destroyed in some districts through these insect parasites, 

 but, though there is no doubt under certain conditions its growth has been 

 checked and great quantities of the flowers, and seed buds destroyed, it is 

 not dead and the bulk of it will liave to be removed when clearing, bv 

 mechanical methods, (luite a number of different insects were propagated 

 on latana ; two moths, a, leaf mining fly, a gall making fly, and a small 

 leaf bug. The latter is one of the most effective, attacking the under-sur- 

 face of the leaves and causing them to drop off. On the very dry shallo^v 

 soil on hill tops the lantana is very sick. This bug, howeA-er, is. verv closelv 

 allied to our native olive bug, whii^h destroys the foliage of 

 the cultiwated olive, and we could never allow it to be introduced 



