THE HAWATIAN SUGAR-CANE LEAF-ROLLER. 41 
THE HAWAIIAN SUGAR-CANE LEAF-ROLLER. 
(Omiodes accepta Butl.) (Plate IIT.) 
EARLY HISTORY IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
During the investigations relating to the leafhopper in 1903 the 
writer found the Hawaiian sugar-cane leaf-roller, the caterpillar of 
a native moth, doing serious damage to cane in the upper fields of 
plantations in the Kohala district, Island of Hawaii. The larvee 
were collected also from Hilo grass (Paspalum conjugatum) growing 
wild above the cane areas. The species, primarily a grass feeder, 
occurs in the higher altitudes and invades the bordering fields from 
these locations. It is recorded by Meyrick % in 1899 from the islands 
of Hawai, Maui, Molokai, and Kauai at elevations ranging from 
1,500 to 5,000 feet. The caterpillar was described for the first time 
by Dr. H. G. Dyar, of the United States National Museum, from 
specimens collected by the writer on cane in the Kohala district. ? 
Swezey states that the leaf-roller occurs on practically all of the 
plantations of the islands, but is less abundant in the dry districts. 
Regarding its injury he says:°¢ 
It is present in some fields of cane sometimes in such large numbers as to do consid- 
erable damage; in fact, cases have been reported where the young cane has been entirely 
stripped of leaves. Such instances are not numerous, however, and even in the worst 
cases would not result in entire destruction of the crop of cane as it would grow again 
after the caterpillars had obtained their growth, or their parasites had got them checked. 
It is not usually to be considered a serious pest. Possibly it is not so abundant now 
as it was a few years ago when reports were made of cane fields having been entirely 
stripped by them. 
At present there are a number of parasites preying upon this species and this keeps 
them well in check. 
In this same report, page 10, the author describes the habits of the 
caterpillar as follows: 
On sugar cane the very young larve feed in the crown of the plant where the young 
leaves have not yet unrolled. They are thus protected between the natural rolls of 
the leaf; later on they roll over the margin of a leaf forming a tube for their “retreat.’’ 
When nearly full grown, they are usually found in tubes towards the tip of the upper 
leaves. These tubes are easily observed if the ragged leaves where the larve have 
fed, are examined. The work of the smaller larve shows as oval or elongate dead 
spots on leaves which have unrolled in the growing of the cane after the young larvee 
have fed upon them. 
When disturbed in its retreat, as by its being torn open, or violently shaken, or 
jarred, the larva wriggles verylively and drops to the ground for escape. This habit is 


@ Meyrick, E.—Fauna Hawaiiensis, vol. 1, Pt. II, p. 204, 1899. 
b Dyar, H. G.—Note on the larva of an Hawaiian pyralid (Omiodes accepta Butler). 
<Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., vol. 6, no. 2, p. 65, 1904. 
¢ Swezey, Orro H.—The sugar-cane leaf-roller, Omiodes accepta. <Hawaiian 
Sugar Planters’ Exp. Sta., Div. Ent., Bul. 5, p. 7, August, 1907. 
