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Illinq WORTH (J. F.). A New Pest of Cane in Fiji {Sphenophorus nebu- 

 losus, Macleay). — Jl. Econ. Entom., Concord, N.H., vii, no. 6, 

 December 1914, pp. 444-445. 



Sphenophorus nebulosus, Macl., a new pest of cane in Fiji, is a small 

 weevil-borer, resembling Rhahdocnemis ohscurus. It deposits its eggs 

 in ruptures in the stalk, but apparently does not attack sound canes. 

 Numerous larvae occur in parallel galleries in injured canes ; the pupae 

 are found in cavities just within the rind of the stalk, without cocoons, 

 their smaller size distinguishing them from those of R. ohscurus. The 

 exposure of rotten cane to the sun for several days is suggested as the 

 best control. This could be done either by first burning the trash, 

 which would greatly help in the destruction or by letting the cutters 

 throw all discarded stalks out on top of the trash. 



McGbegor (E. a.). U.S. Bur. Entom. The Serpentine Leaf -Miner 

 on Cotton. — Jl. Econ. Entom., Concord, N.H., vii, no. 6, December 

 1914, pp. 447-454, 1 pi., 2 figs, 2 tables. 



Affromyza scutellata, Fall. {A. pusilla, Meig.), is described particularly 

 in its relation to cotton. In the United States, fourteen families of 

 plants are known to be attacked by leaf-miners. The hfe-history of 

 this fly, so far as it has been determined on cotton, is given : The eggs 

 are always inserted on the upper surface of the cotton leaf, a chamber 

 being excavated in the underlying tissue, causing a depression of the 

 epidermis. The larva forms mines within the leaf by means of its 

 peculiarly shaped mandibles. It makes its exit from the leaf on 

 the dorsal surface and buries itself in the soil at the base ot the 

 stock ; in a few cases only was it seen to pupate on the under-surface 

 of the leaf. The miner first appears in cotton when the seedlings are 

 but a few days old, generally about 1st May, complete infestation 

 occurring by the middle of June. The activity of the leaf-miner 

 becomes reduced towards the end of June in S. Carolina, probably 

 owing to parasitism and aestivation ; the most favourable conditions 

 are stated to exist between 65° and 75° F., the reduction of the species 

 beginning with a mean temperature of 77° F. A. scutellata is primarily 

 an enemy of forage, but cotton fields have been noted where 98' 7 per 

 cent, of the plants were infested. One computation of the degree of 

 parasitism showed that 24-8 per cent, were parasitised at Batesburg 

 and 89-7 per cent, at Utah, indicating that natural enemies are more 

 important controls in the lucerne districts of the West than in the 

 cotton fields of the South. During these investigations on A. scutellata 

 some parasites were incidentally bred, including Chalcididae — 

 Zagrammosoma multilineata, Ashm., Derostenus diastatae, How., 

 Pleurotropis sp., Closterocerus sp., and Chrysocharis sp. ; Braconidae — • 

 Opius spp. ; and one Dipteron. 



SwEZEY (0. H.). The Introduction of a Tachinid Parasite of the Sugar- 

 cane Weevil Borer in Hawaii. — Jl. Econ. Entom., Concord, N.H., 

 vii, no. 6, December 1914, pp. 455-457. 



An account of the discovery, introduction, establishment and life- 

 historv of the Tachinid, Ceromnsia sphenophori, Villen., is given. 

 Colonies of this parasite were hberated in Honolulu in 1910, and 



