256 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 6 



of young cane beneath the surface of the ground. The mealy-bug ap- 

 pears to be taken into the cane fields on the seed cane and to develop 

 below the ground about the young and tender roots until the cane 

 stalk has formed sufficient inter-nodes above the ground for the pest 

 to find shelter, at the nodes, beneath the leaf-sheaths. The species 

 was determined as (?) by Mr. E. R. Sasscer. The local natural ene- 

 mies are the parasitic fungus, Aspergillus sp., determined by Mr. J. 

 R. Johnston, pathologist of this station; and the Australian lady-bird 

 beetle, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Muls., introduced by this station 

 in cooperation with the United States Bureau of Entomology. The 

 fire-ant, known locally as "la hormiga brava," Solenopsis geminata 

 Fabr., and the ant, Prenolepis julva Mayr., determined by Dr. William 

 M. Wheeler of Bussey Institution, are associated with the mealy-bug 

 in the cane fields, the former species being the more common. The 

 local equivalent for the sugar-cane mealy-bug is "el piojo de bolsa 

 blanca" or Via queresa de la cana." 



The West Indian sugar-cane leaf-hopper, Delphax saccharivora 

 Westw., is not abundant in Porto Rico but is widely distributed over 

 the island. The common name has been given the Spanish equivalent 

 of "el salta-hoja de la cana de las Antillas." The species was deter- 

 mined for the writer by Mr. 0. Heidemann. An egg-parasite, My- 

 maridce, undetermined; an external parasite, Dryinidce, of the nymph 

 and adult; and a parasite, Strepsiptera, of the nymph and adult, 

 have been bred from this species. The egg parasite was collected by 

 the writer and the parasites of the nymph and adult by Mr. Jones. 



The West Indian sugar-cane weevil stalk-borer, Metamasius hemip- 

 terus Linn., has been collected in all of the cane districts in the island 

 but has been observed in injurious numbers in restricted areas only. 

 The species was determined by Mr. E. A. Schwarz. This insect has 

 been given the Spanish common name of "el barreno-gorgojo del tallo 

 de la cana de las Antillas." A weevil root-borer, Diaprepes sp., has 

 been found breeding at the roots of cane in several localities. Mr. 

 Schwarz states that this local weevil root-borer is not identical with 

 the sugar-cane weevil root-borer recorded from Barbados by Ballou 

 under the name Diaprepes abhreviatus. The weevil root-borer attacks 

 the root-stalk of the plant. 



The shot-hole stalk-borer, Xyleborus sp., determined as representing 

 a new species by Dr. A. D. Hopkins, is generally distributed over the 

 cane areas of the island. The Spanish equivalent of the common name 

 is "el barreno-agujereador del tallo de la cana." The local observa- 

 tions support the idea that this insect attacks only diseased canes. 

 It is usually associated with the rind disease of the sugar cane, deter- 

 mined by Mr. Johnston as Melangonium sacchari. 



