323 



Saissetia (Lecanium) hemisphaerica, Targ. , is of universal occurrence 

 in the tropics and has long been known as a pest of cofiee in South India, 

 though it has never been regarded as a serious pest of important 

 crops. The Ufe-history is very similar to that of Coccus viridis, but 

 it lays eggs instead of bringing forth young. There are a number 

 of Hymenopterous parasites attacking this scale, as well as a fly, 

 the maggots of which feed on the eggs. The larva of a moth, Eublemma 

 sp., also destroys the eggs. None of these however is an efficient 

 check. It is very seldom that artificial control is necessary for this 

 scale : in such cases spraying should be as for C. colemani. 



Pulmnaria jpsidii. Mask., occurs on a variety of hosts besides cofiee. 

 There is considerable variation in the Mysore form from Maskell's 

 description. The life-history is completed in 2 or 3 months ; eggs 

 are usually laid on the leaves and the young take from 50 to 70 days 

 to reach maturity. If necessary, this scale should be sprayed in 

 the same manner as C. colemani. 



Illingworth (J. F.) & Jarvis (E.). Cane Grub Investigations. — 

 Queensland Agric. Jl., Brisbane, ix, no. 3, March 1918, pp. 115- 

 116. [Received 30th May 1918.] 



Continuing their report on cane grub investigation [see this Review, 

 Ser. A, vi, p. 294] the authors suggest that, as the Moreton Bay ash 

 is e\'idently a preferred food of the grey-back beetle [Lepidiota albo- 

 Jiirta], these trees should all be cut down within a circumference of 

 about a mile of the cane-fields. They appear to be a favourite food 

 also of both Lepidiota frenchi and L. rothei. These beetles are fre- 

 quently found as far as half a mile back into the forest, and would 

 probably travel double that distance to reach their feeding-trees. 

 It is thought that they would probably not return to the cane-fields 

 to lay their eggs, but would deposit them at the roots of native grasses 

 in the forest, as was their habit before sugar-cane was introduced. 

 Trap-trees might be kept near the buildings on each farm and the beetles 

 shaken ofi each morning and given to the fowls ; the weeping fig is 

 recommended for this purpose. Beetles so collected should be quickly 

 dried before being used as food for any animals. 



Fields infested with grubs of L. frenchi and L. rothei have been 

 swarming •«'ith parasitic wasps for more than a month, and a high 

 mortahty among the grubs has resulted. Experiments with poisons 

 in these fields also gave good results ; sodium arsenate mixed with 

 megass and apphed in a furrow along the sides of infested stools 

 apparently killed all the grubs in the section treated. Repellents 

 gave only negative results, while any roots that came in contact 

 with creosote fumes were killed and the plants showed a decided 

 yellowing. 



Scoliid parasites are being bred with much success ; the life-histories 

 of Dielis for7nosus and Campsomiris radula are being worked out. 

 The latter parasite deposits a single egg on each grub of L. frenchi, 

 and this hatches in about 3 days, the newly-hatched larva immediately 

 beginning to feed on its host. After 9 days the larva reaches maturity 

 and, withdrawing from the body of the host, spins a cocoon and 

 pupates. The pupal stage lasts 39 days for female wasps and 36 for 

 males. The adults, while usually attacking third-stage grubs of 



(C485) a2 



