34 A MANUAL OF DANGEROUS INSECTS. 



only 1)6 propagated from suckers or sprouts there is danger of introducing pests into 

 the country in this manner. The banana is grown very extensively in the Southern 

 States as a hedge plant. The compact nature of the fruit l)unches makes it possi le for 

 many insects of considerable size to find entrance into the country in the bunches as 

 well as in the fruit itself. 



A. BETTER KNOWN BANANA PESTS LIKELY TO BE IMPORTED. 



Cosmopolites sordidus Germar (Splienophorus.) 

 (Banana Root Borer. Calandridse; Coleoptera.) 



Hosts: Banana (all varieties), sugar cane. 



Injury: Serioxis pest to young banana plants in Fiji. 



Description and biology: Adult 14 mm. in length, 4 mm. in l-readth, color dark brown 

 to black, head with prominent rostrum, antennte el' owed. Pupa soft and white 

 when newly formed. Pupal stage lasts from 6 to 8 days in the 1 ulb. Larva 20 mm. 

 in length, 8 mm. in breadth, cream colored, footless, and requires a' out 20 days to 

 reach pupal stage. Eggs presumably deposited singly on 1 ase of stem near the crown. 

 The larvae, upon hatching, work their way inward and down toward the ' ul >. 



Distribution: Fiji, British New Guinea. [In eastern hemisphere South Pacific 

 Ocean to Indian Archipelago.] Jamaica, India, Brazil. 



Jepson, Frank P. Dept. Agric. Fiji, Rept. Econ. Entom., Council Paper No. 25, 



1911, p. 48. fig. 



Dacus ciirvipennis Froggatt. 



(Banana Fruit Fly. Trypetidte; Diptera.) 



Host: Banana. 



Injury: Breeds in fruit. 



Description: Adult about 6 mm. long; head yellow; thorax with elongate 1 ar of 

 silvery white; legs yellow; tarsi and hind femora darker; abdomen elongate with 

 l)ase and two narrow transverse black 1)ands below, sheath and ovipositor elongate. 

 (See plate xxviii, figs, b, d.) 



Distribution: Fiji. 

 Froggatt, W. W. Dept. Agric, New South Wales, Farmers' Bui. 24, 1909, p. 28. 



B. OTHER IMPORTANT B.\NAN.A INSECTS. 



ITEMIPTERA. 

 Aleyrodidae. 



Aleurodicus cocois Curtis: West Indies, Mexico, Central and South America. (See Cocoanut.) 



Coccldse. 



Pseudococcus grassi Leonard!; Italy. 



COLEOPTERA. 

 Calandridse. 



Rhabdocnemis ob.tcurus Boisduval. (See Sugar cane.) 



LEPIDOPTERA. 

 Pyrallda. 



Dichocwcis punctiferalis Gu6n^e; Queensland. (See Corn.) 



Castnildse. 



Castnia licus Orury; South America. (See Sugar cane.) 



Tineidse. 



Ereunetis flavistriata Walsingham; ITawaii. (See Sugar cane.) 



PIPTERA. 

 Trypctidae. 



Ceratitk capitata Wiedemann. (See Fruit.) 

 Rioia masae Froggatt; .\ustralia. (See Fruit.) 

 BaclTOcera tnjoni Froggatt; Orient. (See Fruit.; 



