356 



Pachymerus (Caryoborus) curvijoes attacks several species of palm 

 nuts, including the coconut ; P. (C) bactris and P. (C.) luieomarginatus 

 have been bred from the seeds of the palm, Cojjernicia cerifera, and 

 an undetermined species— hke the others, from South America — 

 destroys the vegetable ivory nut {Phytelephas iJiacrocarpa), while the 

 North American P. {C.) arthriticus feeds in the larval stage in the seeds 

 of palmetto [Sabal palmetto]. 



The Bruchids are without doubt descended from a Chrysomelid 

 group in which the larvae attacked the green pods of legumes, and 

 the oviposition of such species as B. obtectus, the eggs of which are laid 

 in the crevices of pods of the host-plant, may perhaps represent the 

 primitive method of egg-laying, from which later forms developed in 

 which the eggs were cemented to the larval food. It seems evident 

 that the evolution of the Bruchids has proceeded in directions limited 

 by the pecuHarities of the Leguminosae, and there is an interesting 

 field for work in the investigation of the 'factors that hmit the attacks 

 of the different species. Bruchid injury is undoubtedly largely 

 influenced by the structure of the pods and their behaviour upon 

 ripening. Thus, Prosopis j^diflora is not naturally attacked by Bruchus 

 pruininus because of its non-dehiscent pods, but it readily breeds in 

 these seeds when the coverings are artificially removed ; and this is also 

 true of the peanut {Arachis hypogaea] and of Desmodium uncinatum. 

 B. pisorum apparently always oviposits upon the pods, B. pruininus 

 apparently always upon the seed, while the Dolichos species, B. chinensis 

 and Pachymerus gonagra, may oviposit upon either the seeds or 

 pods. Bruchus pisorum oviposits only upon the green pods of its 

 host-plants ; these plants are but rarely cultivated in the Islands and 

 if this species should be imported in peas it would seldom be able 

 to find conditions under which it could breed. This may be the 

 reason for its not yet having became established. 



A table is given showing the results of experiments \\ith various 

 seeds. 



Bridwell (J. C). Insects in Relation to Problems of Storage of Food 

 in Hawaii. — Proc. Hawaiiati Entom. Soc. for the Year 1917 ^ 

 Honolulu, iii, no. 5, April 1918, pp. 506-509. 



A considerable number of species of insect pests of stored-food occur 

 in Hawaii ; in the present paper they are not considered separately, 

 but since they re-act in different ways to the process of sterihsation, 

 the measures resorted to must be adjusted to the most resistant. The 

 most Ukely place for infestation is in the mill ; the store and the home 

 are generally less dangerous. An increasing number of mills and 

 factories sterihse their products before they are placed on the market. 

 Since food may become infested either by the adult insect gaining 

 access to the food and ovipositing thereon, or by the larvae entering 

 through crevices in the containers, it is essential that all stages of the 

 insect must be destroyed in the food, and re-infestation from without 

 must be prevented. The most successful methods of destruction of 

 insects in food are sterihsation by dry heat and fumigation with 

 carbon bisulphide or with hydrocyanic acid gas. If any insect is 

 subjected to a temperature of 110° F. long enough for the heat to 

 penetrate its tissues, it dies ; in practice it is desirable to use somewhat 



