AND IMtOBLEMS OF SOUTHERN NIGERIA. 209 



On opening cocoa pods left hanging on the trees, or lying on the ground, at 

 Agege, the caterpillars were found, usually in large numbers, up to 120, meshed 

 in a ravel of silk among dry brown powder and riddled seeds. They are light 

 in colour, with a tinge of pink, and the intestine shows dark through the dorsum. 

 They grow to one inch, but no specimens were bred through. 



It does not require figures to illustrate or prove the ravages of this pest. 

 Judging by the thousands of old pods left neglected on the trees and on the 

 ground at Agege on the native farms, the damage done must be incalculable. It 

 is not a cheering sight to the Economic Entomologist, and one can only wonder 

 that cocoa succeeds as it does. 



What is wanted is a wholesale clearing up and destruction of neglected pods. 

 Till this is done it is very little good spraying growing pods with insecticides. 



The whole question of entomological methods is discussed later at the end of 

 the section on the insects of cocoa. 



The following insects have also been observed to attack cocoa in Southern 

 Nigeria, but little is yet known about them. 



Cerambycidae. The larva of a Longicorn beetle does serious damage by 

 boring in the trunk and branches. It is very common at Agege and has been 

 noticed at Nzula, E. P. The adult is unknown. 



Locustidae : Catantops Imttipes, Sauss., and a small green wingless grass- 

 hopper do a small amount of damage by eating the leaves. 



Trypetidae : Ceratitis punctata, Wied., has been bred from cocoa pods at 

 Olokemeji. 



Tingididae : A species of Monanthia was found in large numbers at the 

 growing tips of cocoa in July 1912 at Agege. 



Scale-Insects, 



The scales found on cocoa at Ibadan have been kindly determined by 

 Prof. Newstead as Pseudococcas virgatus var. nfadaf/ascaricnsis, Newst. 

 A species found at Onitsha he has referred with some doubt to Pseudococcus 

 citri, Risso. 



Red Tree Ants. 



These insects (Oecophylla smaragdina longinoda, Latr.) are not harmful to the 

 cocoa trees, but they are a great nuisance when collecting ripe pods. Their 

 numbers and their irritating bites cause the native collector to shirk his work. 

 There is no easy way to get rid of them, but the best plan under the present 

 state of things is to cut down the leaf nests and destroy them. For nests high 

 up, long pruning secateurs are necessary. This carried on over thousands of 

 trees is an unavoidably laborious business. If measures against the older and 

 larger trees are not to be attempted, the young trees, which can be easily worked, 

 should at least be attended to. But eventually some wholesale measures will 

 have to be undertaken against these insects. 



