378 SPICES 



CHAP. 



beans, tobacco, and attacks chiefly the seedling capsi- 

 cums. The seedling beds can be protected by putting 

 round them the leaves of Euphorbia neriifolia, which 

 the caterpillars eat and which are fatal to them. 



The birds known as Mynahs kill a great many, and 

 a parasitic fly (a Tachinid) destroys a number of them. 

 Removal of hedges and weeds in which the cater- 

 pillar can pupate will also be effective in driving them 

 away. 



Hemichionaspis minor, Maskell. A very trouble- 

 some coccid also attacks the capsicum. This small 

 white species injures many plants in the West Indies. 

 It occurs also in New Zealand, North America, India, 

 and Ceylon. It is devoured by the larva of a species 

 of lady-bird. 



Another injurious insect is one of the fruit flies, 

 Dacus caudatus, the maggots of which feed on ripen- 

 ing fruits. They do not attack the seeds, but prevent 

 the ripening of the fruit, so that the whole fruit is 

 destroyed. It is rather difficult to deal with this class 

 of insects, as it is impossible to catch these active flies 

 in any quantity, and no insecticide will deal with a 

 maggot inside a fruit. In the case of an outbreak of 

 this pest, all infected fruits should be taken off and 

 destroyed, care being taken not to leave any on the 

 ground so that the animal can pass into the pupa state 

 and hatch out as flies to continue the destruction. 



Two or more species of Epilachna, E. territa, Muls., 

 and E. pusillanima, Muls., attack the leaves of capsi- 

 cums, as well as those of other plants of the order 

 Solanaceae, by biting holes in them, and may do a 

 good deal of damage. They are small lady -bird -like 

 beetles, of a dull pinkish colour, and usually more or 

 less hairy. 



Fungi. According to Tubeuf, the fungus known as 

 Gloeosporium piperatum attacks the fruits of Capsicum 

 annuum. It is closely allied to, if not identical with, 

 Gl. fructigenum, the ripe-rot fungus of apples. This 

 causes brown spots like decay on the fruit, but instead 



