THE CUBA R E \- I E W 



DANGER OF THE MANGO WEEVIL 



A WARNING BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



The Unitcil Slates Department of 

 Agriculture sends out a warning regard- 

 ing the mango weevil and considers an 

 invasion of this pest so serious that gov- 

 ernment authority should be exercised to 

 prevent it getting into Florida and to 

 extirpate it should it gain a foothold. It 

 is the most serious pest in Oriental 

 countries and easih' gets an entrance into 

 other countries, being readily carried 

 with seed for planting. It now inhabits 

 all the mango regions bordering on the 

 Indian Ocean, occurs throughout the East 

 Indies, including the Philippines, and is 

 found also in South America and Alada- 

 gascar. The United States is so far free 

 from the pest. 



The egg is deposited in the fleshj^ part 

 of the fruit, the grub burrows into the 

 seed pot and develops there into the 

 weevil or beetle. There is no mark or 

 discoloration on the exterior of the green 

 mango and as the insect remains in the 

 seed for a long time it is easily dis- 

 tributed. Seeds introduced for planting 

 should be closely examined, and if signs 

 of gnawing and discoloration are noted 

 after removing the paper like covering. 

 the seed should be burned and all appa- 

 rentlj- sound seeds should be germinated 

 in a box under a wire screen, so that any 

 weevils which ma}- be found can be de- 

 stroyed. 



In the Hawaiian Islands recent examina- 

 tion showed that SO to 90 per cent of the 

 mango trees were infested, as manj- as 



The mango weevil pupa. Aluch enlarged 



four larvae being found in a single seed. 

 Inasmuch as this insect passes its entire 

 development within the seed, it is beyond 

 the reach of insecticides and fumigation. 

 Watch for and destrov fallen fruit. 



The mango weevil (Crypforliynchus manifens) : Left side, adult weevil, from above; 

 right side, same, from below. Much enlarged 



