166 



Ant Destroyer," a machine, by means of which, arsenical and sul- 

 phurous vapours, with a mixture of carbon monoxide and dioxide, 

 are pumped into the termitarium. 



Kola pests included a small Fulgorid, Pundaluoya simplicia, Dist., 

 found commonly at the tips of young shoots, which were treated by 

 brushing with a weak kerosene emulsion. Young nursery plants were 

 much attacked by the Adoretus beetle and by Zonocerus variegatus, L. 

 Kola nuts, both on the tree and in store, were attacked by the 

 weevils, Paremydica insperata, Fst., and Balanogastris kolae, Desbr., 

 which were parasitised by an Ichneumonid. Among coffee pests, a 

 moth, Metadrepana glauca, Hmp., and a Stictococcus were observed. 



Maize pests included the moths, Prodenia litura, F., Cirphis loreyi, 

 Dup., Sesamia calamistis, Hmp., Eldana saccharina, Walk., and 

 Busseola fusca Hmp., and an earwig, Elaunon erythrocephalus, Oliv., 

 which damaged green maize. Sesamia only damages the seed by 

 pupating in the heart of the cob, while Eldana eats the grains, both 

 pests being checked by a Tachinid fly, which is itself sometimes 

 parasitised by a Encyrtid parasite. Sesamia and Eldana were 

 found in maize stems long after the cobs had been picked. 

 Towards the end of the maize season, Mussidia nigrivenella, Rag., 

 a common pest of stored grain, was found in the almost ripe cobs. 

 For the control of these pests the maize should be harvested as 

 early as possible and maize refuse burned, or faiUng this, buried 

 under a few inches of earth in the wet season. Stored maize was 

 attacked by Calandra oryzae, L., Triboliiim confusum, Tenebrioides 

 mauritanicus, L., Mussidia nigrivenella, Rag., and Ephestia 

 cautella, Walk. Chalcids were discovered breeding in Calandra 

 larvae. On 30th October, four female Mussidia mo ths wereplaced 

 in a jar containing 8 oz. sound maize. Oviposition took place at once 

 and at the end of two months, when two generations had completed 

 their life-cycle, the maize had lost 25 per cent, in weight, and 50 per 

 cent, of the grain was attacked. Fumigation with carbon bisulpliide 

 at the rate of 5 lb. per 1,000 cubic feet of space was tried, the operation 

 extending over five days, the immediate results were satisfactory, 

 but at the end of three months, weevils and grain beetles re-appeared ; 

 fumigation had to be repeated, the result being that the germinating 

 power of the seed was affected. Test experiments in fumigating with 

 carbon dioxide, on a small scale, gave entirely satisfactory results. 



Para rubber plants were singularly free from pests, but Z. variegatus 

 and a large cricket, Brachytrypes niembranaceus, Druiy, which was 

 preyed on by a fossorial wasp, Chlorion xantJwceros, Hlig., var. 

 instabilis, Sm., were noted. Funtumia elastica is attacked by two 

 Lepidopterous leaf-eaters, the larva of a species of Sphingid moth 

 of the genus Nephele, which is much parasitised by Braconids, and 

 the larva of Glyphodes ocellata, Hmp., which specially attacks young 

 young plants. Funtumia pods contained a variety of pests, viz. : — 

 caterpillars of EntejjJiria sexpunctalis, Hmp., a beetle, Berginus 

 tamaricis, WolL, and a Lygaeid bug, Arocatus continctus, Dist. 



Groimd-nuts were attacked by Psychid caterpillars, Metisa sierricola, 

 White, and a scale-insect, Ceronema africana, Macfie. 



Bean pests included the beetles, Lagria villosa, ¥., L. viridipennis, 

 F., and Ootheca mutabilis. Sahib., and pigeon peas {Cajanus indicus) 

 were attacked by Ceronema africana, Stictococcus dimorphus, Newst., 



