210 



apricot, causing little damage, at most a slight turning down of the 

 margin, but the usual severe attacks during the spring months check 

 the growth of young trees. The effect of this Aphid on peach is more 

 marked, the foliage suiTering to a greater degree. Though rare in 

 England, its presence has been recorded from Suffolk on apricot. 



Sampson (Lt.-Col. W.). A new Scolytid injurious to dried Sweet 

 Potatoes in Jamaica. — Bvll. Entom. Research, London, viii, 

 no. 3-4, February 1918, p. 295. 



Hypothenemus ritchiei, sp. n., is described in this paper, the beetle 

 causing serious damage to dried sweet potato chips. 



Gibson (A.). The Alfalfa Looper, Autographa califomica, Speyer. — 

 Agric. Gaz. Canada, Ottawa, v, no. 2, February 1918, pp. 132- 

 136, 2 figs. 



The alfalfa looper, Phytometra (Autographa) californica, is a destruc- 

 tive insect pest of farm and market-garden crops. It is liable to 

 appear suddenly in countless numbers and is widely distributed 

 throughout western North America, where the last serious outbreak 

 occurred in 1914. Accounts of this, together with details of its life- 

 history and methods for its control have already appeared [see this 

 Review, Ser. A, iii, pp. 269, 457]. 



Its natural enemies are evidently widespread, the insect being 

 heavily parasitised by the Tachinids, Plagia americana, Van de Wulp, 

 Exorista futilis, O.S., and Phorocera saundersi, Will. ; and by the 

 Hymenoptera, Microplitis alaskensis, Ashm., Sargaritis websteri, Vier., 

 Rhogas autographae, Vier., Microplitis sp., Ameloctonus sp., and 

 Apanteles hyslopi, Vier. In addition to these, birds have been observed 

 to feed readily on the caterpillars, which are also attacked by a 

 bacterial disease. 



Work connected with Insect and Fungoid Pests and their Control. — 



Rept. Agric. Dept. Antigua, 1916-17 ; Barbados, 1918, pp. 16-17. 



Damage to sugar-cane roots by the grub of the brown hard-back 

 beetle [Lachnosterna sp.) was less than usual during 1916-17, owing 

 to the good rainfall, which enabled the plants rapidly to form adven- 

 titious roots. A flight of several thousands of these beetles was 

 observed, the irregular infestations on certain estates being probably 

 due to this cause. 



Several severe attacks of the cotton caterpillar, Alabama argillacea, 

 were experienced, and the boUworm, Heliothis obsoleta (armigera), 

 and cotton stainers [Dysdercus sp.) were fairly common during the 

 early and latter parts of the season respectively. Black scale {Sais- 

 setia nigra) and white scale {Hemichionaspis minor) were common on 

 old cotton towards the end of the season, without however damaging 

 the crop. 



On one estate, 70,000 adults of the weevil, Exophthahnus esuriens, 

 attacking limes were captured and destroyed during the year. The 

 fact that the number was 200,000 for the same estate the previous 

 year seems to prove the efficacy of this method of control. 



