﻿INSECTS 
  IN 
  SUGAR-CANE 
  PLANTATIONS 
  IN 
  FIJI. 
  39 
  

  

  The 
  Cane 
  Mealy-Bug 
  (Pseudococcus 
  bromeUm, 
  Bouche). 
  

  

  This 
  mealy-bug 
  is 
  often 
  found 
  at 
  the 
  nodes 
  of 
  the 
  eane-stalksbehind 
  the 
  leaf-sheaths, 
  

   where 
  it 
  punctures 
  the 
  rind 
  and 
  sucks 
  the 
  sap, 
  thus 
  lowering 
  the 
  vitality 
  of 
  the 
  plant. 
  

   It 
  rarely 
  occurs 
  in 
  large 
  numbers 
  and 
  is 
  of 
  only 
  slight 
  economic 
  importance. 
  

  

  The 
  older 
  females 
  are 
  quite 
  inactive, 
  but 
  the 
  young 
  nymphs 
  move 
  about 
  freely 
  

   until 
  they 
  find 
  a 
  suitable 
  spot 
  at 
  which 
  to 
  pierce 
  the 
  rind 
  of 
  the 
  cane 
  ; 
  when 
  once 
  

   that 
  is 
  found 
  they 
  become 
  very 
  sluggish, 
  and 
  settle 
  down 
  to 
  feed 
  and 
  reproduce. 
  

  

  Locusts 
  (Locusta 
  danica, 
  L., 
  and 
  Cyrtacanthacris 
  guttulosa, 
  Walk.). 
  

  

  These 
  two 
  species 
  sometimes 
  become 
  numerous 
  along 
  the 
  edges 
  of 
  fields, 
  stripping 
  

   the 
  cane 
  leaves 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  midribs, 
  but 
  the 
  damage 
  is 
  rarely 
  serious. 
  The 
  minah 
  

   bird 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  efficient 
  check 
  on 
  the 
  locusts, 
  which 
  form 
  its 
  principal 
  food 
  ; 
  whenever 
  

   trash 
  or 
  any 
  rubbish 
  is 
  being 
  burned 
  off 
  in 
  a 
  field 
  the 
  minahs 
  gather 
  in 
  large 
  flocks 
  

   round 
  the 
  edges 
  and 
  reap 
  a 
  rich 
  harvest 
  from 
  the 
  insects 
  that 
  are 
  driven 
  before 
  the 
  

   fire 
  and 
  smoke 
  ; 
  these 
  consist 
  very 
  largely 
  of 
  grasshoppers. 
  

  

  Conclusion. 
  

  

  The 
  three 
  most 
  important 
  pests 
  in 
  the 
  cane 
  fields 
  are 
  undoubtedly 
  the 
  beetle 
  borer, 
  

   the 
  wireworm 
  and 
  the 
  white 
  grub, 
  each 
  of 
  which 
  constitutes 
  an 
  entomological 
  problem 
  

   of 
  the 
  greatest 
  importance. 
  Their 
  life-histories 
  have 
  been 
  as 
  fully 
  studied 
  as 
  the 
  time 
  

   at 
  the 
  writer's 
  disposal 
  permits, 
  but 
  there 
  are 
  still 
  many 
  points 
  of 
  the 
  greatest 
  im- 
  

   portance 
  that 
  require 
  investigation 
  in 
  the 
  immediate 
  future. 
  Although 
  much, 
  

   research 
  work 
  remains 
  to 
  be 
  done, 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  satisfactory 
  control 
  measures 
  have 
  

   been 
  evolved, 
  and 
  their 
  enthusiastic 
  adoption 
  will 
  undoubtedly 
  lead 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  

   reduction 
  in 
  losses 
  ; 
  while 
  there 
  is 
  every 
  reason 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  with 
  an 
  increasing 
  

   knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  these 
  pests 
  further 
  and 
  still 
  more 
  effective 
  measures 
  will 
  

   be 
  devised. 
  

  

  The 
  other 
  pests 
  more 
  briefly 
  referred 
  to 
  in 
  these 
  notes 
  are 
  of 
  minor 
  importance 
  only, 
  

   and 
  although 
  they 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  recognised 
  as 
  injurious 
  on 
  the 
  plantations, 
  the 
  damage 
  

   they 
  cause 
  is 
  at 
  present 
  so 
  slight 
  that 
  control 
  measures 
  are 
  unnecessary. 
  

  

  In 
  conclusion, 
  the 
  writer 
  has 
  to 
  acknowledge 
  the 
  courtesy 
  of 
  the 
  Imperial 
  Bureau 
  

   of 
  Entomology 
  in 
  identifying 
  the 
  species 
  referred 
  to 
  in 
  these 
  notes. 
  

  

  Bibliography. 
  

  

  (1) 
  Muir, 
  F. 
  ' 
  Notes 
  on 
  some 
  Fijian 
  Insects," 
  Bulletin 
  No. 
  2, 
  Hawaiian 
  Sugar 
  

   Planters' 
  Experiment 
  Station, 
  1906. 
  

  

  (2) 
  Jepson, 
  Frank 
  P. 
  " 
  Keport 
  of 
  Economic 
  Entomologist," 
  Annual 
  Keport 
  of 
  

   Department 
  of 
  Agriculture, 
  Fiji, 
  pp. 
  53-54. 
  

  

  (3) 
  Illingworth, 
  J. 
  F. 
  " 
  Further 
  Notes 
  on 
  the 
  Breeding 
  of 
  the 
  Tachinid 
  Fly 
  

   parasitic 
  on 
  the 
  Cane 
  Beetle 
  Borer," 
  Jl. 
  Econ. 
  Entom., 
  Concord, 
  vii, 
  no. 
  5, 
  October 
  

   1914, 
  pp. 
  390-398. 
  

  

  (4) 
  Illingworth, 
  J. 
  F. 
  "A 
  New 
  Pest 
  of 
  Cane 
  in 
  Fiji," 
  Jl. 
  Ecom. 
  Entom., 
  Concord, 
  

   vii, 
  no. 
  6, 
  December 
  1914, 
  pp. 
  444-445. 
  

  

  (5) 
  Veitch, 
  B. 
  " 
  The 
  Sugar 
  Cane 
  Wireworm 
  in 
  Fiji," 
  Agricultural 
  Keport 
  No.l 
  

   of 
  the 
  Colonial 
  Sugar 
  Refining 
  Company, 
  1916. 
  

  

  (6) 
  Veitch, 
  R. 
  " 
  The 
  Hornet 
  in 
  Fiji," 
  Agricultural 
  Report 
  No. 
  2 
  of 
  the 
  Colonial 
  

   Sugar 
  Refining 
  Company, 
  1917. 
  

  

  