102. \TfiE BANANA 



WHITE FLY (Aleyrodicus) 



Two species at least of this genus are known to attack 

 the banana. A. cocois is a common pest of the coco-nut 

 palm in the West Indies and tropical America, and often 

 migrates in large numbers to banana plantations. The 

 colonies of this minute insect are recognized by the leaves 

 being covered with short wax threads, among which are 

 the immature forms, somewhat like scale-insects, and the 

 winged adults. The wings are covered with a fine waxy 

 dust, like flour. If the pest is at all serious, the best 

 remedy is to cut off the affected leaves and burn them. 



THE LARGER MOTH BORER (Castnia licus) 



This sugar-cane pest also attacks the banana, the larva 

 boring into the trunk in South America and Trinidad. 



A LEPIDOPTEROUS PEST CAUSING BANANA SCAB 



The banana " scab " of Fiji is due to the destructive 

 agency of the larva of a small moth as yet unidentified. 

 Slight attacks of scab appear to have no detrimental effect 

 upon the production or quality of the fruit. The way in 

 which the fruit is marked, however, renders it unsightly, 

 and consequently the retailer cannot dispose of bananas 

 so affected as easily as unmarked fruit. 



Appearance of Affected Fruit. The first indication that 

 banana fruit is affected by scab is the appearance of minute 

 longitudinal cracks on the incurved side of the fruit. Later 

 these cracks increase in number and run together, and the 

 whole of this portion of the fruit becomes affected with 

 a brownish discoloration. The skin now commences to 

 dry and the cracks increase slightly in size. If unchecked, 

 the cracks extend through the skin to the edible portion, 

 which then commences to decay. 



Habits and Life-history. When the small cracks referred 

 to are first noticed, examination will reveal the presence 



