Parasites of Insects Attacking 

 Sugar Cane. 



By R. C. L. PERKINS. 



Ill this Bulletin is described a number of very minute para- 

 sites, nearly all of which were bred from eggs of insects at- 

 tacking cane in countries other than these islands. 



The American species were obtained by Mr. Koebele, when 

 investigating- insects in the cane fields in Mexico, where he spent 

 a short time during the winter months of 1908. All the rest 

 were obtained by Mr. Muir in Fiji, China and the Malay 

 islands. Many of these parasites are of great interest and im- 

 portance, since they are important agents in limiting the num- 

 bers of injurious species, Avhich, if introduced into the islands 

 without their parasites, w^ould be likely to cause great loss to the 

 sugar plantations. It has been advisable, therefore, to work out 

 these insects and ]uit them on record, so that in the event of any 

 of the species which they attack turning up in the islands, 

 information would be at hand as to where to look for natural 

 enemies without delay. Although there is now a regular in- 

 spection of all imported plants and, without doubt, the vast 

 majority of injurious insects is intercepted and destroyed, yet 

 there are means of introduction which no inspection can pro- 

 vide against. Also there are some insects which are liable to 

 be passed over by the most shrewd insjiector and against which 

 treatment by fumigation is ineffective. We know that in spite 

 of the fact that tliere has been a systematic inspection of intro- 

 duced plants for nine years, during the last few years numerous 

 new insects have appeared and become abundant. Because 

 this is the case there is no reason to regard inspection as futile, 

 for as has been said, there is no doubt that the majority of im- 

 ported species is thereby prevented from becoming established. 

 With the opening of the Panama Canal and with quick steamers 

 from Central America we may safely predict that an entirely 

 new lot of insects will be brought here, and that the duties of 

 inspectors will become still more onerous. Many of these in- 

 sects will be particularly dangerous, because we know that 

 species from the warmer parts of the American continent read- 



