4 BULLETIlSr 192^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUKE. 



appears to be a great number of parasites." Two species of syrphid 

 flies were reared and a parasitic fungus was observed. 



COCCID^. 



The following scale insects have been taken on truck crops : Saissetia 

 Jiemisphserica T Sir g. (PI. I, fig. 1) and Hemichionaspis minor Mask, on 

 eggplant, and Diaspis pentagona Targ. on okra and pepper. 



A mealybug has been found at the roots of celery and corn which 

 has been determined as Pseudococcus sp. near citri Risso. It was 

 abundant on the crowns of plants growing in rather dry soil, and was 

 in many cases attended by the "fire ant, " Solenopsis geminata Fab. 



Spartocera batatas Fab. 



Adults (PI. I, fig. 2) and nymphs of Spartocera batatas have been ob- 

 served in great abundance on sweet potato, their beaks embedded in 

 the stalks and leaf petioles of the plants. 



CoRYTHUCA GOssYPn Fab. 



The tingitid Corytliuca gossypii, which breeds on the undersides of 

 yautia leaves, also occurs in the same situation on the sword bean 

 {Ganavalia ensiformis) and the castor bean (Bicinus communis). 



Phthia picta Drury. 



This coreid bug (PL I, fig. 3) attacks tomato and Solanum nigrum 

 var. americanum at Rio Piedras, and both adults and nymphs have 

 been observed by the writer inserting their beaks into the fruit of 

 both host plants. 



CORYTHAICA MONACHA Stal. 



Nymphs and adults of CorytTiaica monacTia have been observed to 

 be so abundant on the undersides of the leaves of eggplant that aU 

 the foUage withered, turned brown, and fell from the plant. Although 

 this was an unusual instance, this tingitid is an important enemy of 

 the eggplant. Plants of a common solanaceous weed, Solanum 

 torvum, are also often attacked. 



ORTHOPTERA. 



SCAPTERISCUS DIDACTYLUS Latr. 



Probably the most notorious of Porto Rico insects is the "mole 

 cricket," or '^changsi" (Scap>teriscus didactylus), which injures many 

 vegetables by cutting off the plants at or just below the surface of 

 the soil. 



In the most complete article on this si^ecies so far published in 

 English^ it is stated that "among the small crops the tomato, egg- 



1 Barrett, O. W. The changa or mole cricket (Scapteriscus didactylus Latr.) in Porto Rico. Porto Rico 

 Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 2, 19 p., 1 fig., 1902. 



