501 



Circulars on Insect Control. — Federal Reserve Bank, Kansas City. 

 3rd January 1921, 1 p., and 15th July 1921, 2 pp. 



The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has undertaken the 

 pubHcation of a series of circulars on insect control issued in connection 

 with the University of Missouri. This new step in publicity work 

 has been taken with the object of uniting financial interests with the 

 work of the colleges of agriculture in attempting to lessen the great 

 losses in the chief grain crops in the Mississippi Valle3^ 



Circular no. 12 (3rd January 1921) calls attention to the ravages of 

 the chinch bug [Blissus leucopterus] in Missouri, and an appeal is made 

 to all bankers to aid in an organised movement for burning the rubbish 

 on farms that harbour the pests during the winter. 



Another circular, dated 15th July 1921 , gives estimates of the damage 

 done in Missouri by the Hessian fly [Mayetiola destructor'], and indicates 

 the more essential remedial measures. The fly-free dates for sowing 

 wheat in the various districts of the State are shown on a map. 



Ballaed (E.). Helopellis and its Relatives. — Planters' Chron., 

 Coimbatore, xvi, no. 30, 23rd July 1921, pp. 489-491. 



It has now been established that Helopeltis theivora does exist in 

 South India ; and a few notes are given on this Capsid and its allies. 

 The life-history of H. theivora does not differ from that of other Capsids. 

 The eggs are laid in stems or broken ends of plucked twigs, and 

 a single female may lay many hundreds. This bug is allied to 

 H. antonii, which attacks nim trees [Melia azadirachta], causing them 

 to wilt. Before the results of Andrews' soil experiments [R.A.E., 

 A, viii, 204] can be tested in South India, comparison will have to 

 be made of the soil of infested and non-infested areas. 



SiMMONDs (H. W.). The transparent Coconut Scale Aspidiotus 

 destructor and its Enemies in Southern Pacific. — Fiji Dept. Agric, 

 Suva, Agric. Circ, ii, no. 2, February-May 1921, pp. 14-17. 



A brief account is given of the life-history of Aspidiotus destructor, 

 which isoneoftheworstpestsofbananasandcoconutsinFiji. The com- 

 plete life-cycle occupies about 38 days, varying according to weather 

 conditions. The eggs hatch in 7 days, and the larvae crawl about until 

 a suitable spot is found on the leaf, when they settle down and begin at 

 once to suck the plant juices. The scale is chiefly carried by the wind, 

 but is probably also distributed by various mechanical means such as 

 by adhering to the feet of other insects. The most important natural 

 enemies of A. destructor are Chrysopa spp. Many dead scales are 

 found covered with a black fungus, which may however only appear 

 after death. The common earwig of the banana and a somewhat 

 scarce species of ant are predaceous on the scales. The Chalcid para- 

 sites, Aspidiotiphagus citrinus, Craw, and Aphelinus chrvsomphali, 

 Merc, occur in Tahiti, the latter being the more important as all 

 scales attacked by it are completely destroyed. It is also more resistant 

 to extreme heat and has been found on small exposed trees. Scales 

 attacked by A . citrinus occasionally lay a few eggs. Continued obser- 

 vations indicate that no secondary parasitism occurs. Closely planted 

 trees and those with a considerable amount of undergrowth appear 

 to suffer less from Aspidiotus destructor, possibly because the under- 

 growth shelters natural enemies such as lacewing flies and earwigs. 



