277 



Entomologie extracongolaise. — Bull. Assoc. Planteurs de Caoutchouc, 

 &c., Antwerp, \x, no. 2, February 1922, p. 36. 



A list of pests likely to be introduced into the Belgian Congo is 

 given, together with their food- plants and geographical distribution. 

 Phthorimaea opercitlella and Icerya purchasi have already appeared 

 in Katanga. 



All plants for importation into the Belgian Congo must bear a certi- 

 ficate showing that they have been examined for pests ; and must 

 also be disinfected at the place of origin by fumigation or heat. 



Lepidosaphes beckii already occurs in the colony. 



Neillie (C. R.) & HousER (J. S.). Fighting Insects with Airplanes. — 



Nat. Geogr. Mag., Washington, D.C., xli, no. 3, March 1922, 

 pp. 333-338, 6 figs. 



An account is given of the successful use of aeroplanes in dusting 

 tall trees infested with Ceratomia catalpae, Bdv., in Ohio. The experi- 

 ment was made against the second brood of the moth, the plane used 

 being equipped with a metal box secured to the fuselage. This box 

 has a capacity for holding a little more than 100 lb. of dry lead arsenate. 

 At the bottom a sliding gate is arranged to be operated by a handle 

 accessible to the observer. A crank at the top is connected to a revol- 

 ving mechanism at the bottom by a sprocket chain, which, when placed 

 in motion, releases the powder through the previously opened sliding 

 gate. The dust thus dropped into the air current set up by the 

 revolving propeller is violently agitated and forms a dense white cloud, 

 which trails out behind the moving plane. 



The grove of Catalpa treated by this method was situated on level 

 ground, and was a plot 800 ft. long and 325 ft. wide containing 

 4,815 trees 25 to 30 feet high. The poison was applied between 

 3 and 4 p.m. on 3rd August 1921 under almost ideal weather conditions, 

 a steady wind blowing at from 8 to 11 miles an hour. The plane 

 flew at 80 miles an hour at an altitude of from 20 to 30 feet and parallel 

 to the grove, 53 yards to the windward of it. The dust w^as carried 

 by the wind over the grove, every tree being covered. The plane 

 distributed about 175 lb. of poison, and subsequent examinations 

 showed that not more than one per cent, of the larvae remained alive 

 on the trees. The poison can be placed with marked precision at 

 any point intended, thus dispelling the expectation that it would be 

 wholly beyond control as a result of the air currents. 



With further development and improvements this should prove a 

 successful means of controlling forest insects, but its usefulness in 

 treating cotton or other low-growing crops or even large fruit orchards 

 still remains to be proved. 



Ehrhorn (E. M.). Division oJ Plant Inspection. Report for September 



1921. — Haiiuaiian Forester and Agric, Honohdu, xviii, no. 11, 

 November 1921, pp. 248-249. [Received 20th March 1922.] 



The pests intercepted include : from California, peach moth in 

 peaches ; eelworms in potatoes ; Pseudococcus sp. on pears ; and Lepi- 

 dopterous and Coleopterous larvae on mountain ash berries and twigs. 

 From China, Lepidopterous larvae in bird seed. From Japan, Lepido- 

 saphes ficus on sand pears. From the Philippines, Parlatoria ziziphus 

 and Chrysomphalus aurantii on pomelos, and pupae of Lepidoptera 

 on oranges. 



