128 



from pupae of B. catoxantha, received at Buitenzorg, a Tachinid, a 

 small hyperparasite, and four specimens of the above species of 

 Mesostenus, which thus seems to be a common parasite of this moth. 



Smits van Burgst (C. A. L.). In de Lucht dansende Sluipwespen. 

 Overwinteren manlijke Sluipwespen in de volkomen Toestand ? 



[Parasitic Hymeneptera that swarm in the Air. Do male Hymen- 

 opterous Parasites hibernate in the Adult Stage ?] — Ent. Ber. 

 Ned. Ent. Vereen., The Hague, vi, no. 122, 1st November 1921, 

 pp. 29-31 . [Received 1 1 th January 1922.] 



It does not appear to be well known that species of the Braconid 

 genus Blaciis swarm and dance in the air in the same way as some 

 midges. The author has captured behaving in this manner both 

 sexes of Blacus ruficornis, Nees, a parasite of the larva of Stereonyckus 

 fraxini, De G., which skeletonises the foliage of ash. It is probable 

 that both the beetle and its parasite occur wherever the ash is grown 

 in Holland. The development of the two insects is contemporaneous, 

 and both hibernate as adults, but whereas both sexes of the host 

 remain alive in winter, only the female of the parasite does so, and 

 this appears to be the rule among parasitic Hymenoptera. 



VoGEL (J. F.). De Beukenspringkever {Orchestes fagi, L.). [The 

 Beech Weevil, Rhynchaenus fagi.] — Tijdschr. Plantenziekten, 

 Wageningen, xxvii, no. 12, December 1921, pp. 129-131. 



An unusual abundance of the beech weevil, Rhynchaenus {Orchestes) 

 fagi, L., occurred in the summer of 1921. The hibernating adults 

 emerge when the first beech leaves appear, and the females deposit 

 eggs on the midribs. The larvae mine between the leaf-surfaces until 

 they reach the margins, when they pupate. The larval stage lasts 

 about one month and the pupal stage about a fortnight. As the 

 eggs are laid at the end of April, the first adults appear in mid- June, 

 and begin eating circular holes in the leaves ; they also attack the 

 unripe nuts. 



Berlese {A.). Agli Olivicultori italiani. [To Italian Olive Growers.] 

 — Allevanienti, Palermo, ii, no. 12, 31st December 1921, 

 pp. 396-397. 



In recommending to Italian olive growers his method for combating 

 the olive fly [Dacus oleae], the author gives the results obtained in 

 Greece in 1920 [R.A.E., A, x, 3], which induced the Greek Govern- 

 ment to extend the work to 5,000,000 trees in the Ionian islands. 

 In Italy, D. oleae causes an annual loss of £16,000,000 at par. These 

 measures are now to be officially organised in Tuscany, but nothing 

 is being done in the olive-growing regions of South Italy, where 

 conditions are very similar to those in Corfu. It is suggested that 

 competent observers should be sent to that island in order to 

 obtain information and experience. 



De Stefan I (T.). La Difesa dai Parassiti. [Defence against Plant 



Enemies. 1 — Allevamcnii, Palermo, ii, no. 12, December 1921, 



p. 398. 



This is a criticism of the views expressed by Mattel [R.A.E., 



A, X, 67]. Imported foreign pests require to be dealt with by means 



of the enemies that kept them down in their country of origin. The 



Plant Inspection Service, far from impeding trade, favours it by 



inspiring confidence in the goods involved. 



