537 



found it on planes in Italy and later on pears, cherries and prunes 

 at a distance of some miles from plants of Ailanthus. Laboratory 

 experiments also show that pears, prunes and planes are suitable 

 food-}>Iants. Adults from cocoons on planes seek out Ailanthus 

 for oviposition, but if the second generation does not iind enough 

 A ilanthns, it attacks other plants, beginning with planes. If the first 

 generation were to develop on fruit trees, the situation would be 

 serious. There is also a danger of the mulberry becoming attacked, 

 and it is necessary to decide whether S. cynthia is to be bred for its 

 silk, as was intended at one time, or whether it should be destroyed 

 now in order to avoid serious complications in the future. 



The only remedies available are the collection of the cocoons and 

 the destruction of Ailanthus trees. 



HoRVATH (G.). Description d'un Fulgoride nouveau des Dattiers.^ 



Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afr. Nord, Algiers, xii, no. 7, July 1921, 



pp. 179-180. [Received 13th September 1921.] 



Asarcopiis palmanim, gen. et sp. n., is described from Egypt as 



infesting the crowns of the date palm (Phoenix daciylifera) . Although 



occurring in colonies, it does not apparently cause any appreciable 



damage. 



Ballou (H. a.). Pink BoUworm in the Leeward Islands. — Agric. 

 News, Barbados, xx, no. 504, 20th August 1921, pp. 266-267. 



In May and June a visit was paid to the Leeward Islands, where 

 search was made for the pink boUworm [Platyedra gossypiella]. In 

 Antigua the cotton season was over, except in one district ; 

 P. gossypiella was found there, but the attack was probably of recent 

 origin, as a large crop had already been gathered. In Anguilla, infesta- 

 tion was discovered in April [R.A.E., A, ix, 400], and a plan was 

 adopted for continuing cotton growing with a modified form of close 

 season and for carrying out necessary remedial measures. The methods 

 adopted were the same as those in other Islands [R..-I.E., A, ix, 99]. 

 A long close season is not necessary as there are no cotton-stainers in 

 Anguilla, and a close season was fixed for one day, with the proviso 

 that previous to the date fixed all cotton in the fields must be destroyed 

 and after that date might be planted at any time. This would enable 

 advantage to be taken of a rainy period for planting. Larvae in the 

 ginnery were found to be attacked by a predaceous mite that appeared 

 to be Pediculoides ventricosus. It is unusual for it to be found early 

 in the season, or at a time when P. gossypiella is not abundant. 

 Besides cotton and okra, the garden hollyhock is also a food-plant of 

 the pink bollworm in Anguilla. Most of the cotton is grown by the 

 peasants in small, isolated patches, which will be difficult to locate 

 and deal with. A committee has been appointed to advise the govern- 

 ment in St. Kitts as to the proper dates for the close season and for 

 the various measures in the bollworm campaign in Anguilla. 



In Nevis there were some 400 tons of cotton seed undisposed of 

 at the time fixed by law for all seed to be either treated for destruction 

 of P. gossypiella, or shipped. Most of this was heaped out of doors, 

 where cotton stainers [Dysdercus spp.] had access to it. In this instance 

 the time fixed by law was extended for four weeks, and seed that 

 could not be shipped was buried under supervision of cotton inspectors. 

 It was pointed out, however, that this was not a safe method for 

 destroying P. gossypiella and that better arrangements for disposal 

 of the seed should be made before another close season. 



(4557) 2 N 



