488 



said to show that the females taken at the hght trap constitute 57 per 

 cent, of the assumed total of females, while the gravid females so 

 taken amount to 33 per cent.* 



It is believed by the author that further investigations will adduce 

 additional evidence to disprove the generally accepted theories on 

 this question. 



CoTTE (J.). The Value of the Coleopteron, Chilocorus bipustulatus, as 

 a Destroyer of Scale-Insects. — Bull. Soc. Path. Vegetale France, 

 Paris, iv, no. 2, 1917, pp. 86-88. (Abstract in Mthly. Bull. Agric. 

 Intell. & PI. Dis., Rome, ix, no. 7, July 1918, pp. 901-902.) 

 [Received 10th September 1918.] 



Observations on the Coccinellid, Chilocorus bijmstulatus, as an enemy 

 of Chrysom'jjhalus didyospermi, Morg., which is becoming a serious 

 pest in eastern Provence, show that while the scale is undoubtedly 

 attacked by this beetle, it is not the preferred food. It was found 

 that C. dictyosjpermi continued to maintain itself on a mandarin 

 tree in company with Chilocorus bipustulatus, while the Aphid, 

 Toxoptera aurantii, Boyer, which tried to establish itself on the tree, 

 was repeatedly exterminated by the Coccinellid. Saissetia oleae, Bern. , 

 and Pseudococcus adonidum, L., were similarly little affected by 

 Chilocorus bip^istulatus, and it is evident that in the Nice district 

 this beetle cannot be relied upon for efficient control of Chrysomphalus 

 dictyospermi, when the latter is present in large numbers. 



Del Guercio (G.). Dysdercus scassellati, sp. n., a Bug observed on 

 Cotton in Southern Italian Somaliland. — V Agricoltura Coloniale, 

 Florence, xii, no. 1, 1918, pp. 5-20, 6 figs. (Abstract in Mthly. 

 Bull. Agric. Intell. & PI. Dis., Rome, ix, no. 7,. July 1918, 

 pp. 902-903.) [Received 10th September 1918.] 



This paper describes a new cotton-stainer, Dysdercus scassellati, 

 from southern Italian Somaliland. 



De Stefani (T.). Megastigmus ballestrerii, a Hymenopteron living on 

 the Pistachio Tree and Turpentine Tree in Sicily. — Boll. Stndi 

 luformazioni R. Giardino Coloniale di Palermo, iv, no. 1-2, 

 1917, pp. 101-131, 24 figs. (Abstract in Mthly. Bull. Agric. Intell. 

 & PI. Dis., Rome, ix, no. 7, July 1918, p. 903.) [Received 

 10th September 1918.] 



This paper reviews the various insect and Arachnid pests attacking 

 the pistachio tree {Pistacia vera.) and the turpentine tree {P. terebinthus) 

 in Sicily, and gives a detailed account of the Chalcid, Megastigmus 

 ballestrerii, Rond. The larva destroys the pistachio seed and in 1916 

 caused a loss of more than 70 per cent, in some plantations. The 



* [This deduction from the figures given appears to be incorrect, since 

 the assumed total of females cannot properly be taken as half the total 

 of the individuals (11,222) captured in the author's experiments. He 

 actually caught 8,025 males, and oii his own reasoning lie must assume 

 the tbeo eticaliy available females to be 8,025 and not 5,611 ; this would 

 reduce his percentages of 57 and 33 to 40 and 23 respectively. — Ed.] 



