﻿206 
  W. 
  A. 
  LAMBORN. 
  — 
  THE 
  AGRICULTURAL 
  PESTS 
  

  

  Another 
  Stictococcus, 
  S. 
  dimorphus, 
  Newst., 
  occurred 
  on 
  cacao 
  at 
  the 
  Agege 
  planta- 
  

   tion, 
  especially 
  on 
  the 
  new 
  shoots, 
  and 
  less 
  on 
  the 
  native 
  farms, 
  a 
  fact 
  doubtless 
  to- 
  

   be 
  accounted 
  for 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  for 
  shade 
  purposes 
  of 
  the 
  pigeon 
  pea 
  plant, 
  Cajanus 
  

   indicus, 
  on 
  which 
  this 
  particular 
  scale 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  great 
  profusion. 
  It 
  was 
  

   greatly 
  checked 
  by 
  a 
  Noctuid 
  larva, 
  Eublemma 
  scitula, 
  Ramb., 
  of 
  the 
  sub-family 
  

   Erastriinae, 
  the 
  larva, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  E. 
  ochrochroa, 
  concealing 
  and 
  protecting 
  

   itself 
  under 
  a 
  shield 
  largely 
  composed 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  of 
  its 
  victims. 
  

  

  Another 
  scale, 
  which 
  was 
  common 
  on 
  pigeon 
  pea 
  and 
  found 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  on 
  

   cacao, 
  was 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  Icerya 
  (Plate 
  xxiv, 
  fig. 
  1). 
  

  

  Insects 
  attacking 
  the 
  Pods. 
  

  

  A 
  small 
  Lymantriid 
  caterpillar 
  was 
  found 
  sparingly 
  eating 
  the 
  superficial 
  layers 
  

   of 
  the 
  cortex, 
  but 
  doing 
  little 
  direct 
  damage, 
  though 
  probably 
  paving 
  the 
  way 
  for 
  

   fungus 
  attack. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  2. 
  Araecerus 
  fasciculatus, 
  de 
  Gk 
  

  

  Some 
  Anthribid 
  beetles, 
  Araecerus 
  fasciculatus, 
  de 
  G., 
  were 
  bred 
  from 
  larvae 
  boring 
  

   in 
  the 
  husk 
  and 
  a 
  Lepidopterous 
  borer, 
  the 
  larva 
  of 
  Characoma 
  stictigrajpta, 
  Hmp., 
  

   (Plate 
  xvii, 
  fig. 
  6) 
  was 
  also 
  not 
  uncommon. 
  The 
  caterpillar 
  of 
  this 
  insect 
  bored 
  

   exclusively 
  in 
  the 
  husk, 
  its 
  track 
  being 
  betrayed 
  by 
  patches 
  of 
  black 
  rot 
  of 
  the 
  super- 
  

   ficial 
  layers, 
  consequent 
  on 
  the 
  undermining, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  discharge 
  through 
  various 
  

   rounded 
  apertures 
  of 
  frass 
  held 
  together 
  by 
  silk. 
  When 
  full-fed, 
  the 
  larva 
  spins 
  a 
  

   cocoon 
  in 
  the 
  thickness 
  of 
  the 
  husk 
  and 
  there 
  pupates. 
  

  

  The 
  scale-insect 
  Stictococcus 
  dimorphus, 
  Newst., 
  occurred 
  fairly 
  frequently 
  on 
  the 
  

   larger 
  pods, 
  more 
  particularly 
  on 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  yellow 
  Amelonado 
  variety, 
  where 
  they 
  

   were 
  assiduously 
  guarded 
  by 
  the 
  red 
  ant 
  (Plate 
  xxii). 
  This 
  scale 
  causes 
  the 
  cortex 
  

   of 
  the 
  pod 
  to 
  rot 
  in 
  small 
  black 
  circular 
  areas, 
  on 
  which 
  a 
  white 
  floury 
  amorphous 
  

   powder, 
  possibly 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  drying 
  of 
  some 
  secretion, 
  is 
  found 
  after 
  the 
  scale 
  has 
  fallen 
  

   off, 
  and 
  it 
  certainly 
  paves 
  the 
  way 
  for 
  fungus 
  attack. 
  

  

  Some 
  Trypetid 
  flies, 
  Ceratitis 
  nigra, 
  Grah., 
  were 
  captured 
  in 
  great 
  abundance 
  in 
  

   the 
  cacao 
  fields 
  at 
  Agege 
  during 
  a 
  short 
  visit 
  in 
  late 
  April, 
  but 
  did 
  not 
  permit 
  of 
  an 
  

   investigation 
  into 
  their 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  pods. 
  Another 
  undetermined 
  species 
  was 
  also 
  

   obtained 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  neighbourhood, 
  ovipositing 
  in 
  the 
  fruit 
  of 
  a 
  bush 
  plant. 
  

  

  Termites. 
  

  

  White 
  ants 
  eating 
  away 
  dead 
  wood 
  on 
  the 
  cacao 
  trees 
  at 
  Agege 
  were 
  numerous. 
  

   No 
  species 
  attacking 
  living 
  wood 
  was 
  found, 
  though, 
  as 
  the 
  dead 
  material 
  is 
  eaten 
  

  

  