392 



vicinus is probably the most destructive agricultural pest in Porto 

 Rico. Its natural enemies include a centipede {Scolopendra alternans), 

 a tiger beetle, Tefracha sohrina infuscata, a Carabid, Calosoma alternans, 

 and the larvae of an Elaterid beetle, Pyrophorus luminosus. 



KiNMAN (C. F.). The Mango in Porto Rico. — Porto Rico Agric. Expt. 

 Sta., Mayaguez, Bull. no. 24, 4th February 1918, 30 pp.. 11 plates. 

 [Received 15th July 1918.] 



The only insect pests of the mango which thus far have been of 

 importance in Porto Rico are thrips and the fruit-fly, Anastreplia 

 fraterculus. The latter is very injurious to the fruits of some varieties 

 of both wild and imported mangos, and as it breeds in other wild 

 fruits, some of which bear throughout the year, it would be very 

 difficult to eradicate or control it. The cheapest and easiest way of 

 preventing injury is by enclosing the fruit in cheap paper bags when 

 it has attained its full size, but before it begins to ripen. It is advisable 

 to make a small hole in the bottom of the bag to allow water to drain 

 out that may enter by way of the fruit stem. Several hundreds of these 

 bags can be attached by one person in a day, and though the] covering 

 to some extent hinders the development of the red blush on certain 

 varieties, it protects the bloom and prevents sunburn, thus adding 

 to the attractiveness of the fruit. 



HuTSON (J. C). Some Insect Pests in Cuba. — Agric. News, Barbados, 

 xvii, no. 421, 15th June 1918, pp. 186-187. 



A previous paper, dealing with the appearance, spread and control 

 of Aleurocanthus woglumi (spiny citrus white-fly) in Cuba to the 

 end of October 1916 has already been noticed [see this Revieiv, Ser. A, 

 V, p. 171]. Subsequent work on this pest has shown that, after hatch- 

 ing, the insect passes through three stages before becoming adult, 

 during which time the damage due to it is done. A bad infestation 

 causes the leaves to curl up, turn yellow, and eventually fall. The 

 complete life-cycle occupies about sixty-five days, so that there may 

 be five generations a year. Since the adult female lays on an average 

 about 40 eggs, the pest is capable of a rapid increase in a comparatively 

 short time. 



The froghopper, Monecphora bicincta, became a pest of importance 

 in Cuba in 1916, when it destroyed large areas of grass pasture consisting 

 of Parana or Panama grass {Panicmn numidiantim) and Guinea grass 

 (P. maximum), and also attacked Sorghum halepense and Andropogon 

 muricatus. The damage is done mainly by the nymphs, which attack 

 the base of the plant and the top of the roots, gradually sucking the 

 plant dry. The eggs are laid on the soil close to the plant and hatch 

 in from 12 to 20 days in the wet season, though under dry conditions 

 they may remain unhatched for as long as 4 months. There are 

 four moults., and under favourable conditions the comj)lete develop- 

 ment occupies from 32 to 40 days. Various control methods suggested, 

 include : — the burning over of dried -up pasture areas, by which 

 means the eggs and nymphs are destroyed, though a certain proportion 

 of the adults will escape ; the collection of adults by means of trap- 

 lights ; the use of a machine resembling a hopper-dozer, which, 



