[Planting in Fiji 487 



banana plantations and will most likely spread 

 to the coco-nut palms. This is the scale 

 insect, known as Aspidiotus destructor, Sign. 1 



In Bulletin No. 5, "Some Preliminary 

 Notes on the Scale Insect Infesting the 

 Banana in Fiji," Mr. F. P. Jepson has 

 gathered and published the following in- 

 formation : 



Froggatt says, "This scale insect was 

 described by Signoret from specimens sent to 

 him from Reunion, where he says that this 

 species does great damage to the coco-nut 

 groves on the island." 



Banks says, " Aspidiotus destritctor, Sign., is 

 by far the most pernicious of the scales which 

 attack the coco-nut in the Philippines. It 

 occurs most frequently on the young trees 

 having one to five years' growth, in many 

 cases completely covering the under surfaces 

 of the leaves, giving them a characteristic 

 yellow tinge." 



Doane, in his notes on the scale in Tahiti, 

 says, "It is one of the greatest pests upon 

 coco-nut palms in the Society Islands. Here 

 it infests both old and young trees in a similar 

 manner, but on the old trees, besides the 

 foliage, it spreads over the flower spikes and 

 even the coco-nuts become coated with the 

 scale. Many trees have been killed, whilst 

 others, on account of this infestation, bear no 

 nuts, and on some islands it has become so 



1 See p. 265, et seq. 



