CHAPTER X 

 ENTOMOLOGY^ 



INTRODUCTION 



THE importance of insects for almost every aspect of African 

 development is too obvious to require much comment. In 

 this chapter two of the major insect pests, locusts, and tsetse flies, 

 will be considered first: then such other insects will be considered 

 as are pests of cultivation, of stored products, and carriers of dis- 

 eases which affect human beings or domestic animals. 



Most people are inclined to regard tsetse flies, Glossina, as the 

 most important biting insects in Africa, in view of the fact that 

 they render nearly two-thirds of the tropical regions unproductive 

 or uninhabitable. But large areas are subject to persistent attack 

 by other biting insects which keep a large proportion of the popu- 

 lation at a low ebb or are responsible for heavy mortality. Of these 

 the most important are malaria mosquitoes. Anopheles, and the 

 plague fleas, especially Xenopsylla. The problems created by these 

 insects will, however, be more fully considered with medicine. 

 Entomology is linked so closely with other subjects that many of its 

 aspects are necessarily considered elsewhere. The principal refer- 

 ences are as follows: Chapter IV, on the relation of eco-climates to 

 insect pests; V, effects of termites on soil; VII, pests of forest trees; 

 VIII, tsetse flies in relation to game; XII, pests of crop plants; 

 XIV, pests of domestic animals; and XVI, insects as vectors of 

 human disease. 



Once again it is necessary to stress the importance of taxonomic 

 studies, for practically no advance is possible without a ready 



' The field of entomological research in Africa is so large and so technical that 

 arrangements were made through Dr. S. A. Neave, of the Imperial Institute of 

 Entomology, for a special memorandum on insect pests, other than locusts and tsetse 

 flies, to be prepared by Mr. S.J. E. Southgate, xA.ssistant at the Institute. This memor- 

 andum has been freely used in drafting the later sections of this chapter. 



