GUAM AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, 29 



damage to the crop as Avell as a locustid, AAhich was commonly ob- 

 served feeding on grass stems. 



Sugar cane. Tlie canes were verj^ inferior and the methods of 

 cultivation rather crude. At the time of harvest the canes were all 

 badly damaged by rats. The only insect pests observed were the 

 cane borer {Rhabdoaiemis ohscurus var.), a leafhopper {Perkins- 

 iella n. sp. near sinensis), and a mealy bug {Pseudococeus sacchari). 

 N^o parasites were observed, although the first two are very much 

 parasitized in the Australasian region. The crop is poor and there 

 is much waste in extracting the juice. Artificial remedies for the 

 insect pests could not be considered, but if the value of the crop would 

 warrant it, much larger yields could be obtained by protecting the 

 canes from rodents and by introducing parasites of hopper and 

 borer. 



Tobacco. The tobacco seemed to be of \&cy poor quality. It is 

 made into cheroots or " chupas " by the natives, but the " chupas " 

 made from Saipan leaf are much preferred to the native product. 

 The principal pests are Heliothis ohsoletcu which feeds on the leaves 

 and buds and consumes the contents of the seed pods, and a tor- 

 tricid stem borer. A capsid bug also blights the leaves. A locustid 

 is commonly found on tobacco, but whether it oviposits in the stems 

 or frequents the plant in search of food is not known. Some of these 

 forms live jDartly on insect and partly on plant food. 



FORAGE AND COVER CROPS. 



Kafir com. Kafir corn is badly infested in all stages of growth by 

 the plant-louse, Aphis maid is. The heads are also badly damaged 

 by the caterpillars of two common moths found frequently in matur- 

 ing grains (probably Cryptohlaljes sp. and Batrachedra sp.). The 

 Cryptoblabes is parasitized in the pupal stage by Chalcis sp. 



Broom com. Broom corn is also attacked by plant lice {Aphis 

 maid is) and by a hopper (probably Peregrinus maidis). A cater- 

 pillar feeds on the leaves, but the moth was not secured in breeding. 



Para grass. The caterpillar of a pyralid moth commonly rolls the 

 leaves. It is parasitized by an Apanteles. A psyllid is also found 

 on the leaves and a locustid occasionally gnawsthe stems, but does 

 little apparent damage. 



Bermuda grass. The larva of a pyraustid moth (2015) is the 

 principal depredator on Bermuda grass, which is now used largely 

 for lawns. This caterpillar is a leaf roller when small, but when full 

 grown works at the base of the stems and mats the grass consider- 

 ably- Wlien appearing in excessive numbers, as it doas at frequent 

 intervals, it gives the lawns a very shabby appearance. Spodopfera 

 mavritia was also bred on Cynodon, and a gi"ass coccid, probably 

 Antonina houtelice, is found on the lower stems and roots. 



&t«if I I 



