422 



Jratcrcidas, Wied. (mango fly), was severe in some localities on the 

 Slimmer mango crop and was appearing again on the spring crop. 

 Its proforenoe for certain varieties requires study. The destniction 

 of fallen fruit and the cultivation of the surface soil beneath the mango 

 trees have been reconunended. Alabanta argiUacea, Hb. (cotton 

 caterpillar) was heavily parasitised in the autumn by Chalcis annulata, F. 

 Dusting with bags of Paris green was generally practised against this 

 insect in the cotton areas. Saissetia nigra, Nietn. (black scale) and 

 Hentichionaspis tninor, Mask, (white scale) were abundant wherever 

 cotton was grown. Insecticidal control is necessary, as the action of 

 the Hymenopterous parasites of these scales is very feeble at present. 

 In the drought prevailing in the Vere sugar-cane areas in spring and 

 earlv summer 1915, Sfcnocrnnus sacchari corns, Westw. (cane-fly) was 

 general and greatly interfered with the young cane. Old cane was 

 badly blackened by the consequent sooty mould. Fii\e weather caused 

 /S. so cchari varus to disap])ear. The larvae of Erinni/is eUo, L., caused 

 extensive damage to cassava in St. Elizabeth and South Manchester. 

 The later larvae were hea^'ily parasitised by Apanteles omericanus, 

 Lep. Horisnienus aponfelivorus, Crawf., and a Pteromalid were also 

 bred from them. Where cassava was just making its first growth at 

 the time of the outbreak, the plants received a serious set-back and in 

 some places were killed. It is advisable therefore to delay planting 

 till just after the season for these caterpillars, so that plants will have 

 made a maximum gi-o\vth before the following outbreak. Under the 

 conditions prevailing, hand-picking the caterpillars was the cheapest 

 method of control. Protection of the parasite's cocoon masses and 

 scuttling the soil to expose the pupae of the moth were also advised. 

 The Cling Cling (Quiscalus cr(7ssiros(ris) assembled in the cassava fields 

 during the St. Elizabeth outbreak and rendered most valuable assis- 

 tance. Lonchaea chalybea, Wied. (bud maggot) was present everywhere, 

 and a red spider was responsible for a spotting of the leaves. The 

 Longicorn, Lagochinis obsoletus, Thorn., which is such a formidable 

 pest in Cuba, is happily not yet present in Jamaica. Eu^cepes batatac, 

 Watorh. (sweet potato scarabee) was most destructive to sweet potato 

 in the arid districts of St. Elizabeth, while in the vale of St. Thomas 

 Cylns formicarius, F. (sweet potato weevil) caused the loss of 25 per 

 cent, of the crop. St. Vincent yam tubers from the Stony districts 

 were heavily infested ^^^th the scale, Targionia hartii, Ckll. In 

 November in the Pedro Plains district, there was an outbreak of the 

 locusts, Schistocerca pallcns, Thunb., and S. inscripta, AValk., in which 

 maize and other crops sulYered. The Katydid, NeocoHocephalus 

 guttatiis, Serv., was also present. In the autumn of 1915 the cricket, 

 Gryllus assimilis, ¥., became very abundant and vegetables and flowers 

 when newly planted out were much damaged. Tobacco was also 

 attacked, but the Kansas poison bait here proved eflfective [for other 

 insect pests of tobacco see this RcvicH\ Ser. A, iv, p. 153]. Maize was 

 attacked even before it germinated and a loss of 100 per cent, occurred 

 in some instances. Though not entirely satisfactory, red lead apphed 

 wet as a seed coating is the best repellent known at present. Coal tar, 

 which has been advocated, only permits of 10 per cent, germination. 

 Laphggma friigiperda, S. & A. (fall army worm) seriously defohated 

 maize in certain locaUties and attacked sugar-cane on two estates. 

 On one of these the land was flooded and the injury ceased. The 



