127 



cyaaophylli and A. cydoniae on bananas. From Fiji : Larvae of 

 unindentified weevils in sweet potatoes and yams. From Hawaii : 

 Diaspis hromeliac and Pseudococcus bromdiae on pineapples ; larvae 

 of Dacus CKCurbitae in cucumbers ; unidentified Coccids on croton 

 leaves. From New Zealand : Pseudococcus sp. on an unknown plant. 

 From Nicaragua : Lepidosaphes heckii on oranges. From Samoa : 

 Pseudococcus sp. on coconut palm. From Oregon : Cydia pomonella 

 in apples. 



Richards (P. B.). Notes on Entomology in the Federated Malay States 

 during 1917.^ — Agric. Bull. Fed. Malay States, Kuala Lumpur, 

 vi, no. 10, July-August 1918, pp. 409-420. [Received 15th 

 January 1919.] 



During 1917 large collections of insects, many of which are new 

 to science, have been made throughout the Federated Malay States, 

 and 111 species of insects and 2 of mites have been studied in the 

 laboratory, most of them being of economic importance. 



Among rubber pests Coptotermes gestroi is still the most important. 

 It is recognised that clean clearing is essential for eradicating this 

 termite, but the condition of affairs in this respect is still far from 

 satisfactory. In time, with universal clearing up of dead wood and 

 systematic treatment of attacked trees it is hoped that there will 

 remain so few centres of infestation that it will cease to be a serious 

 pest. In addition to the direct damage done by this species it is 

 suspected of infecting trees with wood-rotting fimgi such as Poria 

 and Ustulina, and there is considerable evidence that it is frequently 

 responsible for " brown bast " attacks. 



The rubber leaf mite is capable, in certain conditions of soil and 

 weather, of doing considerable injury to young rubber-fields. This 

 mite, which is very minute, punctures the epidermis of the young 

 leaves and shoots, and sucks out the fluid cell-contents. The life- 

 cycle requires only 5 to 7 days, and as each female deposits 50 or 

 more eggs, increase is very rapid. The damage to rubber plants varies 

 from distortion of the leaves to repeated defoliation of the young 

 shoots and the ultimate death of the plant. Attacks by the mite 

 are also frequently followed or accompanied by leaf and stem fungus 

 attacks, the mite often passing unnoticed owing to its small size. 

 While this pest is present probably on every estate throughout the 

 Peninsula, it has as yet assumed serious proportions only where 

 root conditions have been unfavourable for the growth of Hevea 

 hrasiliensis. In such cases the attacks have caused checking, stunting 

 and death of seedlings in nurseries, and weakly and stunted growth 

 in young clearings. Improvement of soil conditions by draining, 

 manuring or cultivation is the first essential of preventive and remedial 

 treatment. Where the attack has become established, spraying with 

 lime-sulphur wash containing two pounds of sulphur per 100 gallons 

 is an effective remedy, acting both on the mites and the fungi. This 

 should be applied twice at ten-days' interval and afterwards once 

 every 3 or 4 weeks in such nurseries and young plants as show signs 

 of re-infestation. A small percentage of rubber trees appears to be 

 resistant to mite attack ; in areas known or likely to be mite-infested 

 these might be planted with advantage. 



