210 



when they descended to the ground to pupate. Other pine pests 

 were Dioryctria (Phycis) silvestrella, Ratz., a species formerly thought 

 to be D. (P.) abietella, Zk., but now identified as D. mendacella, Stgr., 

 and the weevil, Pissodes validirostris, Gyll. The two last-named have 

 not apparently been recorded before as injuring pines in Spain, 

 P. validirostris is generally found in company with D. mendacella 

 and occurs only on Pinus silvestris. As they both reach the adult 

 stage in August and September, and infestation of the cones is notice- 

 able by the latter half of June, the cones should be collected and 

 burnt before the usual time in order to prevent the larvae from 

 descending to the ground to pupate. Both pupae and eggs of D. men- 

 dacella are difficult to locate, while the adult moth flies only at night, 

 is not attracted to lights, and lives only a very short time. Studies 

 have also been made of Ips (Bostrichus) sexdentatus, Boern, and of a 

 Buprestid larva that injures resinous pines. This may be Ancylo- 

 cheira (Biiprestis) flavomaculata, ¥., or possibly Melanophila tarda, ¥., 

 both of which have been found on pines. Pines that were heavily 

 infested with Pissodes notatus, F., were destroyed before the insects 

 completed maturity. Rhyacionia {Evetria) buoliana, Schiff., also 

 caused considerable damage among pine plantations, as well a» 

 another caterpillar, probably of Tortrix viridana, L. 



Minor pests of forest trees identified include the Coleoptera : — 

 Acanthocinus aedilis, L., in pines ; Oberea linearis, L. (?) in hazel ; 

 Myelophilus piniperda, L., in pines ; Anthaxia praticola, Kies., in 

 young, dead pines ; A. manca, Esch., in elms attacked by Scolytus 

 multistriatus ; Chalcophora mariana, L,, in pines; and Herpysticus 

 eremita, on fruit-trees. Among Lepidoptera, Aglaope infausta, L.^ 

 and Malacosoma neustria, L., occurred on almonds and cork oak; 

 Porthetria {Lymantria) dispar, Tortrix viridana and Nygmia phaeorrhoea 

 [Euproctis chrysorrhoea), on evergreen and cork oaks ; Phalera biice- 

 phala on hazel ; Stilpnotia {Leucoma) salicis, L., on black poplar ;, 

 Rhyacionia (Tortrix) duplana on pines; and Hyponomeuta sp. on haw- 

 thorn. 



RoRER (J. B). Enfermedades y Plagas del Cacao en el Ecuador y 

 M6todos Modernos apropiados al Cultivo del Cacao. [Diseases 

 and Pests of Cacao in Ecuador and Modern Methods appropriate 

 to the Cultivation of Cacao.] — Reft, presented to the Agric. Assoc, 

 of Ecuador, Guayaquil, 24th January 1918, 79 pp., 22 figs. 

 [Received 17th March 1919.] 

 Among the insect pests of cacao in Ecuador, ants are found in 

 almost all plantations and cause considerable damage by defoliating 

 the trees. The method advocated for their extermination is to close 

 up with earth all but one or two of the holes in a nest and to pour 

 into the remaining openings a mixture of equal parts of carbon bisul- 

 phide and gasoline. This is then exploded by means of a light fastened 

 to the end of a long cane and the holes plugged up to prevent the 

 escape of the gases. 



A cacao beetle of the genus Stirastoma occurs ; this is similar to,, 

 if not identical with, the species [S. depressum] that causes so much 

 damage in the West Indies and other countries. The eggs are laid 

 in the trunks of the trees and the larvae tunnel in the bark, some- 

 times killing the branch or even the main trunk. 



