296 



to enter the soil and complete their metamorphosis there. Some of 

 the adults hibernate in sheltered spots, where they remain until the 

 spring and attack the fruit as soon as it has set. From dried-up 

 apples containing larvae of R. bacchus two parasitic Hymenoptera 

 emerged in September ; these were Euqyelmus degeeri and an unidenti- 

 fied, and probably new, species of Sijntomasfis. These were not found 

 abundantly and are believed to be of little importance. 



The best method for controlling R. bacchus is to collect the fallen 

 fruit each day at the same time in all infested orchards and to pick 

 that which is attacked, but still on the tree. The larvae in this fruit 

 should then be killed. It is suggested that the infested fruit might 

 be boiled and given as food to pigs. 



Mercet (R. G.). Generos nuevos de Encirtinos de Espana. [New 

 Genera of Spanish Eucyrtids.]—5oL. /?«»/. Soc. Esp. Hist., Nat., 

 Madrid, xviii, nos. 3 & 4, March-April 1918, pp. 234-241, 4 figs. 



The author describes the following : — Rhinoencyrtus malenotti, gen. 

 et sp. n., taken on Graminaceae and on leaves of Populus alba ; Pholi- 

 doceras brachyptera, gen. et. sp. n., on Gramineae, taken in company 

 with Diversicornia pinicola, Ericydmis longicornis and Dinocarsis 

 hemiptera. 



HuTSON (J. C). The West Indian Mole Cricket or Changa. — Agric. 

 News. Barbados, xvii, nos. 416-417, 6th-20th April 1918, 

 pp. 106-107 & 122, 1 fig. 



Sca])teriscus vicinus (West Indian mole-cricket) is considered to 

 be the most serious insect pest of general agriculture in Porto Rico, 

 and this or closely related species are pests of vegetable garden crops 

 and of grass lawns in some of the other West Indian islands. This 

 cricket has usually been known in literature under the name S. didac- 

 iylus, but that species is apparently limited in its- distribution to 

 parts of South and Central America, while S. vicinus has a wider 

 distribution, being found in the south-eastern United States, the 

 West Indies and portions of South America. It is found in light, 

 loamy soils, where it lives in burrows, which it rarely leaves except 

 at night. In a dry season the burrows may be carried to a depth of 

 12 inches, while in a rainy season they are generally within 4 inches 

 of the surface. A prolonged drought may cause an overland migra- 

 tion of adults and nymphs at night to more favourable ground. 

 S. vicinus is primarily a vegetable feeder, rarely eating animal food. 

 It feeds underground on seedlings and young plants, frequently 

 dragging the whole under the soil and devouring it. Tobacco is an 

 important crop that suffers from the cricket in Porto Rico ; sugar-cane 

 is also attacked when planted on loose, sandy soil, the germinating 

 seeds being destroyed and the bases of young shoots gnawed through. 

 Most garden crops, such as maize, tomato, cabbage, lettuce and pepper, 

 are severely damaged by 8. vicinus. Many grasses, of which 

 the favourite are Paspalum sp. and Eleusine indica, serve as food, 

 as well as any roots encountered during tunnelling. 



Eggs are laid in the burrows in a loose heap, generally in a pocket 

 concealed by loose earth, and hatch under laboratory conditions in 



