October, '17] DUNN: COCOANUT-TREE CATERPILLAR 473 



abundant in the trails, where frequently as many as fifteen or twenty 

 could be found together in the wider places, though the narrow mines 

 seemed to be the work of single individuals. 



On the chance of the situation proving serious, the case was reported 

 to the State Department of Agriculture and a barrel of infested potatoes 

 was requested by the Station for study. The following quotation is 

 from a letter by the grower of the potatoes: 



"Have sent you today by express a barrel of the potatoes, as di- 

 rected. In answer to your questions will say: The seed was bought of 

 a farmer about four miles away from this place last year and planted 

 on this farm but not on the same field. Bought them for Gold Coins 

 but they are mixed with other varieties. Had no trouble with them 

 last year. This acre was between two other kinds neither of which 

 seemed to be affected. The land was in hay four or five years and was 

 broken last spring (1913) for potatoes and used Armour's fertilizer. 

 Was top dressed in 1911 with barn yard manure. . . . There are 

 two other farms near here where potatoes affected in the same way 

 have been found." 



The maggots lived in this shipment of potatoes for a fortnight or so 

 but no pupae were obtained and by the middle of November none but 

 dead larvse were found. 



A specific determination was not possible on the data presented, 

 but Dr. O. A. Johannsen kindly examined the larvee and pronounced 

 them "probably Camptocladius sp." 



No similar occurrence has come to the attention of the writer since 

 this record for 1913 and it is hoped that the attack was due to some 

 peculiar local condition which may not again prove favorable to this 

 midge in its career as a serious pest of potatoes. 



THE COCOANUT-TREE CATERPILLAR (BRASSOLIS ISTHMIA) 



OF PANAMA! 



By L. H. Dunn, Entomologist, Board of Health Laboratory, Ancon, Canal Zone 



Cocoanut culture on the Isthmus of Panama may be safely ranked 

 as an important industry, and bids fair to become more so in the future. 

 At the present time in nearly all parts of Panama cocoanuts are grown 

 to a greater or less extent, ranging from the few trees near a native's 

 hut to large and profitable groves, covering many acres of ground and 

 owned by large companies. 



For numerous reasons this industry on the Isthmus does not have 



^ Read before the Medical Association of the Isthmian Canal Zone, January 

 22, 1916. 



