87 



arrived at by adding to the number of entirely healthy egg-masses 

 half of those partially infested. Investigation of the proportion of 

 the sexes of Prophanurus (Phanurus) beneficiens showed that about 

 4 per cent, of males occurred. The great predominance of females 

 may account for this species being such a very effective parasite in 

 Java. 



RoEPKE (W.). Verslag over het jaar 1914-1915 en Werkprogramma 

 voor het jaar 1915-1916. [Report for the year 1914-15 and 

 programme for the year 1915-16.] — Med. Proefstation Midden 

 Java, Batavia, no. 20, 1915, 30 pp. 



Some estates suffered seriously from locusts, which appeared to come 

 from the teak areas and to be the same species as had previously done 

 great damage in dry years in Java, viz., Cyrtacanthacris nigricornis, 

 Burm. {Acridium nielanocorne, Serv.). There was one large primary 

 and several smaller secondary centres, the former coinciding with the 

 teak forest belt of Central Java. No reasonable method of control in 

 the forest was possible, as the locusts kept to the tops of the highest 

 trees. In the secondary areas, molasses and arsenic was tried as a 

 bait with some success ; buffalo dung poisoned with Paris green was 

 found very useful, as the dung appears, to have a special attraction 

 for the locusts. The chief damage was done to plantations near to 

 the teak forest. Natural enemies greatly helped the destruction of 

 the pest ; the fungus, Metarrhiziimi anisopliae, attacked them in all 

 stages ; the Cantharid beetle, Mylahris pustulata, destroyed large 

 numbers and the eggs were heavily parasitised by the Chalcid, Scelio 

 javanica. Attempts are being made to maintain a supply of the fungus 

 during the intervals between the locust invasions for subsequent use, 

 and locusts infected wdth it were sent to Kuala Lumpur and to Pusa 

 for experiments in cultivating it. 



An unknown beetle greatly resembling the Mango weevil, 

 Cryptorrhynchus mmigiferae, did great damage to pepper-corns ; hand 

 collection and shaking from the trees are probably the best methods 

 of control ; nothing is as yet known of the life-history. In July and 

 August and again in November and December there was a great 

 outbreak of bag- worms, chiefly Eumeta layardii ; shade trees were 

 badly attacked and also kapok, cacao, coffee, pepper and nutmeg. 

 An epidemic of Limacodidae occurred and it was observed that, 

 whereas in previous years Orthocmspeda trima was the species most 

 feared by the cacao planters, this species was entirely absent and its 

 place taken by Altha castaneipars, which the author thinks has been 

 often wrongly recorded in Java as Belippa laleana or Belippa sp. ; 

 another undescribed Limacodid also did nmch damage ; Scopelodes 

 unicolor, the largest Limacodid in Java, as well as Setom nitens and 

 Miresa albipuncta were present in small numbers. The kapok pod-borer, 

 which in former years has damaged a great percentage of the pods of 

 kapok, has been bred out and appears to be a new species closely 



