388 



injury it causes. A. cognata occurs in North Africa on the Mediter- 

 ranean basin, being found on all Graminaceae on the cultivated high 

 plateaux and on plains of medium altitude. 



MoREiRA (C). Bicho da Fructa de Conde. [The custard apple 

 caterpillar.] — Chacaras e Quint aes, S. Paulo, xi, no. 2, 15th 

 February 1915, pp. 105-107, 6 figs. 



Anona reticulata, L., (the custard apple) is a favourite fruit in Brazil, 

 but is disappearing in the Federal District and in the State of Kio de 

 Janeiro, owing to insect pests and primitive methods of cultivation. 

 Its chief insect enemy is the caterpillar of the Microlepidopteron 

 Stenoma (Antaeotricha) anonella, Sepp, described in 1852 (Papillons 

 de Surinam, p. 296) as Phalaena (Tinea) anonella. The adults chiefly 

 appear from July to September. The females oviposit on the fruit. 

 On hatching, the larvae bore into the fruit and feed on the pulp. If 

 the fruits are small when attacked, they shrivel and fall ; if already 

 of some size, they ripen, although damaged in the infested portion. 

 From a single fruit the author has seen 30 adults emerge. The larval 

 stage apparently lasts about 20 days and the pupal about 12 days. 

 The coUection and destruction of all injured and fallen fruit is very 

 necessary. When high prices are obtainable, it will pay to enclose 

 the fruit in bags. Light traps will also be useful. Insecticides are 

 not advisable. 



BoNDAR (G.). Praga dos tomateiros. [A pest of tomato plants.] — 

 Chacaras e Quintaes, S. Paulo, xi, no. 2, 15th February 1915,. 

 p. 121. 



Large numbers of tomato plants in the State of Rio de Janeiro are 

 being destroyed by a Membracid of the genus Lamproptera, often 

 found on wild Solanaceae. The proximity of these wild plants is the 

 probable cause of the infestation. A contact poison is necessary and 

 a simple solution of soap, 3| oz. in 7 pints of water, may be used, 

 either sprayed or poured on the plants. 



UvAROv (B. p.). BbWMHblM onpwCKMBaTenb Flnama. [Platz's pack- 

 sprayers.] — « 3eiVinefl"bJlb4eCKafl raaeia.w [Agricultural Gazette], 

 Petrograd, 16th January 1915, no. 1 (65) and 23rd January, no. 2 

 (66), pp. 19-22 and 49-51. 



The control of Locusia {Pachytylus) migraloria, L., necessitates the 

 spraying of high and thick growths of reeds, Phragmites communis, 

 for which purpose it is practically impossible to use horse-drawn 

 sprayers, while knapsack-sprayers give a lot of trouble and are very 

 ineffective. The Stavropol Station therefore carried out, during the 

 summer of 1914, extensive experiments with the Platz pack-sprayer, 

 packed on camels, and it appeared that this sprayer is well adapted 

 for spraying high reeds (over 10 feet high), while it proved also less 

 expensive and more effective, as compared with knapsack-sprayers, 

 when used on low reeds. Its effectiveness equalled that of 20 knapsack- 

 sprayers on high and 11 on low reeds. 



