December, '13] wolcott: west Indian and demeraran notes 447 



and two of the larvae. The cosmopolitan and ubiquitous Trichogramma 

 minuhim (pretiosa) Riley is everywhere abundant, and it is always 

 easy to find egg clusters parasitized — indeed it is sometimes difficult 

 to find clusters not parasitized. This high ratio of parasitism may be 

 more apparent than real, as the black parasitized egg masses are 

 very easily detected, but those not parasitized, being semi-transparent 

 and light yellow in color, are much more difficult to see and not so 

 many are collected. Another egg parasite, probably Telenomus sp., 

 is also present in considerable numbers. A characteristic habit of 

 Telenomus which makes it of much less value as a parasite, is that of 

 neglecting to infest all the eggs in a cluster. Often as many as four 

 or five eggs are thus allow^ed to hatch. 



The adults of Iphiaulax sp., the braconid larval parasite, are 

 quite noticeable in the field, as the red thorax and abdomen, very 

 long black ovipositor and black and yellow wings make them con- 

 spicuous. The boys cutting out dead hearts often find six or seven 

 larvse or cocoons of this parasite in a day. This means almost ex- 

 actly 1 per cent, of parasitism. Mr. Bodkin has also bred Tachinid 

 flies from puparia which the boys had collected in dead hearts, but 

 these are much less common than the Iphiaulax. 



In addition to having the boys cut out dead hearts, they are also 

 paid one half cent each for Diatrcea egg mass that has not turned black 

 or red, which are considered to be nonparasitized, but this practice 

 is by no means general. Most managers are theoretically in favor of 

 it, because it removes the insect before it has done any injury, but the 

 practical impossibility of getting all, or even a large part of the clusters, 

 makes it impractical except in connection with the cutting out of dead 

 hearts. The cost of keeping large gangs in the field the year round 

 is very considerable, for the boys who cut out the dead hearts have 

 work throughout the year as it takes three or four weeks to go over 

 an estate thoroughly and they immediately recommence. It is diffi- 

 cult to say whether the cutting out of dead hearts does control Diatroea 

 in a measure or not, but one is safe in saying that Diatra'a injury would 

 be much more severe, were it not done. It certainly is true that to 

 be effective, it must be well done, and when negro women and girls 

 are used instead of the coolie boys, the value of their work is prob- 

 lematical, for in addition to failing to cut out all the dead hearts, 

 the women also cut perfectly healthy shoots.^ 



I The coolie boys, far from being so stupid as to cut healthy shoots, are so bright 

 that they have been known to substitute the larva? of wasps for the Diatrcea larvae, 

 which they somewhat resemble in general appearance and are, of course, much 

 more easy to obtain in lai-ge numbers. The unsuspecting overseers, who look over 

 what the boys have collected, are none too observant, and often the deception 

 passes. 



