110 



Lepidiota frenchi, a grass-feeding species, is becoming a serious 

 pest of sugar-cane at Meringa, migrating from grass borders and 

 roadsides into the cane-fields and eating off all the roots of the cane 

 plants. Fields attacked by these beetles show patches of yellow and 

 dead cane among the dark green, healthy plants. After heavy rains 

 in November the damage from this species became considerably 

 less. As there had been a great abundance of parasitic wasps for 

 a month or more, it is probable that they were responsible for much 

 of the mortality among the grubs. Experiments with poisons in 

 the same field were very encouraging. Sodium arsenate mixed with 

 megass and applied in a furrow along the rows of infested plants 

 apparently killed all the grubs. Experiments with repellents gave 

 negative results. Various tests are being carried out in the experi- 

 mental plots at the experiment stations. 



Further artificial methods of control advocated for the beetles include 

 the destruction of all Moreton Bay ash trees within a circumference 

 of about a mile of the cane-fields, as both L. frenchi and L. rolhei show 

 a decided preference for the foliage of these trees, as also do the 

 greyback beetles [L. albohirla], [see this Review, Ser. A, vi, p. 323]. 

 Simple light-traps, such as a lantern suspended over a tub of water 

 with a little kerosene on the surface, catch a great many of the beetles, 

 and should be used at dusk before the beetles reach the feeding trees. 

 Small fires round the cane-fields, started at dusk and kept up for 

 about an hour in the evening during the (light of the beetles, also 

 destroy numerous individuals. 



Natural enemies, including the green muscardine fungus [Meta- 

 rrhizium anisopliae], and the digger Avasps, Campsomeris tasmaniensis 

 and C. ' adula, have been dealt with in various reports issued during 

 the year [see this Review, Ser. A, vi, pp. 245 and 495 ]. Bird enemies of 

 cane-grubs that follow the plough and devour large numbers of the larvae 

 include ibis and pewee larks ; bandicoots are useful in the same way. 



Among other cane pests the borer beetle { Rhabdocnemis obscura] is 

 becoming increasingly abundant, owing largely to lack of care in the 

 selection of clean setts. In one district whei e the beetles have been 

 abundant the Tachinid parasite, Ceramasia sphcnophori, has become 

 well established, and is proving a very efficient control. A previous 

 attempt to establish this parasite led to the conclusion that it could 

 not live in Queensland, but it is now hoped to transfer it during 

 favourable conditions to other centres of infestation. Both Cirphis 

 unipunctn (army- worm); which attacks the edges of the leaves of young 

 cane plants, and Phragmatiphila truvtcata (Noctuid borer), which 

 feeds inside the shoots and kills the central leaves, are troublesome 

 pests of sugar-cane, but are prevented by parasites from doing serious 

 damage. It is suggested that these caterpillars might be checked 

 by the application of a green crop of beans or peas before cane is 

 again planted. This would only be successful if there were no infested 

 fields of cane in the \icinity. 



NiisiMA (Y.). Eine neue Gattung der Borkenkafer. [A new Genus of 

 B&ik-Beetles.] -Collection of Essays for Mr. Yasushi Nawa, Gifu, 

 October, 1917, pp. 1-3. [Received 3rd January 1919.] 



A new bark-beetle, Orosiotes kumamotoensis, gen. et sp. n., is described 

 from specimens collected at Kumamoto, Japan. 



