22 Notes on Insects Damaging Sugar Cane in Queensland. 



(17) CYRTACANTHACRIS PLAGIATA, Walk. (Family ACRIDIIDAE). 



(18) CYRTACANTHACRIS GUTTULOSA, Walk. (Family ACRIDIIDAE). 



Those two locusts are classed as cane pests in our Brisbane collection 

 of economic insects at the Agricultural Department, but up to the present 

 have not been met with at Gordonvale. 



Both are active representatives of the genus, and measure nearly 

 2 inches in length, with a wing expanse of about 4 to JrVo inches. 



(19) CIRPHIS UNIPUNCTA, Haw. (Family NOCTUIDAE). 

 Plate I., Fig. 19, p. 6. 



Most growers are familiar with the caterpillars of this celebrated 

 pest, which are more or less in evidence each season, and strip the young 

 foliage at night-time, usually concealing themselves by day in the centre 

 of affected plants amongst unfolding leaves. 



These destructive larva? sometimes travel through a district in a 

 vast army, devouring nearly everything before them and often entirely 

 consuming valuable cereal and other cultivated crops. The last serious 

 outbreak of this sort occurred in the Cairns and Mossman districts during 

 1912. 



Fortunately, numerous natural enemies in the shape of birds, 

 parasitic insects, and infectious diseases succeed in keeping them within 

 reasonable bounds. 



Tryon figured and described four hymenopterous and a dipterous 

 parasite of unipuncta in The Queensland Agricultural Journal, vol. 6, 

 p. 135 ; and doubtless many other native parasitic and predaeeous 

 enemies await discovery. 



The writer recently bred a tiny tachinid fly from larvjp collected 

 near Gordonvale last October. 



The following very brief description of this parasite may interest 

 entomologists: — Thorax silvery-gray, several long slightly curved black 

 spines on sides ; annulets white and very large. Abdomen black, anterior 

 margins of segments silvery, sides and extremity bearing a number of 

 stout black si)ines. Body sparingly furnished with stout black hairs. 

 Legs black, and spined. Head dull yellow above antenna\ face silvery, 

 spined on forehead and close to prol)os(ds. Antenruv dai'k yellowish- 

 brown. Length, 3-60 mm. 



(20) PARUARA MATHIAS, Fab. (Family HESPERIDAE). 

 Plate III., Fig. 20, p. 20. 



Larval specimens of this insect were observed damaging the foliage 

 of sugar-cane at Harvey's Creek in December, 1914. 



