COTTON 393 



distribution throughout the palsearctic region, and is 

 known to infest boring larvae of insects belonging to 

 widely different Orders. It was common in Egypt prior 

 to the advent of the pink boll worm, and has but recently 

 taken to parasitizing Gelechia larvae. P. rob orator 

 was the first parasite observed on the pink boll worm, 

 and still remains the commonest parasite of that pest in 

 Egypt. The part it plays in combating Gelechia is with- 

 out doubt a very important one. It has become quite a 

 familiar object in magazines where unginned cotton is 

 stored within the range of the pink boll worm. 



Chelonella sulcata, also an Ichneumonid, appears to 

 have been rare before last autumn (1913). Only one 

 specimen was known to us in 1912, which we had bred 

 from Gelechia; nevertheless, our breeding cages during 

 the last crop season produced large numbers of this 

 parasite. We have not hitherto bred Chelonella from 

 any other insect larva, and are not in a position to say 

 whether this parasite was introduced along with its host, 

 or whether it is indigenous to Egypt; this season it has 

 been the second most important parasite of the pink boll 

 worm. 



Limnerium interruptum is also an Ichneumonid insect, 

 and is evidently able to parasitize insects other than 

 Gelechia gossypieila, as the species is known to occur in 

 England. In Egypt it has hitherto only been bred from 

 Gelechia, being otherwise so rare that no captured 

 specimens have yet been recorded. The pink boll worm 

 has, however, provided a convenient and common prey, 

 and it has multiplied enormously in some places. Its 

 range is not yet co-extensive with the range of Gelechia , 

 and it must still be considered a very local insect. 



Pediculoldes ventricosus was discovered infesting* 

 Gelechia larvae by Mr. Willcocks in 1912, and in 

 1913 became so common that the work of unloading 

 Egyptian cotton seed in English ports was interfered 

 with, as the mites also attack man when their normal 

 hosts are wanting. This parasite also seems to be some- 

 what local in its distribution; Mr. Willcocks's laboratory 

 is stated to have been badly infested. It has not been 

 noticed in our buildings, although very large quantities 



