﻿573 
  

  

  Lathrop 
  (F. 
  H.). 
  Egg-laying 
  of 
  the 
  Rice 
  Weevil, 
  Calandra 
  oryzae, 
  L. 
  

   — 
  Ohio 
  Nat., 
  Columbus, 
  xiv, 
  no. 
  7, 
  May 
  1914, 
  pp. 
  321-327, 
  5 
  figs. 
  

  

  The 
  rice 
  weevil, 
  Calandra 
  oryzae, 
  L., 
  weU 
  known 
  throughout 
  the 
  

   United 
  States 
  as 
  a 
  pest 
  of 
  stored 
  grain, 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  South 
  especially 
  

   destructive 
  to 
  maize. 
  An 
  account 
  is 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  paper 
  of 
  the 
  

   egg-laying 
  habits 
  of 
  this 
  weevil, 
  w^hich 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  highly 
  adaptive 
  char- 
  

   acter 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  of 
  economic 
  importance. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  deposited 
  

   in 
  such 
  a 
  position 
  that 
  the 
  larvae 
  are 
  surrounded 
  by 
  an 
  abundance 
  

   of 
  food, 
  and 
  are 
  protected 
  during 
  the 
  helpless 
  period 
  of 
  life. 
  By 
  being 
  

   laid 
  beneath 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  grain, 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  protected 
  to 
  a 
  large 
  

   extent 
  from 
  external 
  injury, 
  excessive 
  drying 
  and 
  sudden 
  changes 
  of 
  

   temperature. 
  The 
  cavity 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  laid 
  is 
  sealed 
  by 
  the 
  

   mother 
  with 
  a 
  plug, 
  which 
  is 
  probably 
  useful 
  against 
  predaceous 
  and 
  

   parasitic 
  enemies 
  and 
  is 
  incidentally 
  a 
  safeguard 
  against 
  gases 
  used 
  

   in 
  fumigation. 
  In 
  spite 
  of 
  this 
  plug, 
  numerous 
  instances 
  were 
  observed 
  

   in 
  which 
  the 
  predaceous 
  mite, 
  Pedicidoides 
  ventricosus, 
  Newp., 
  success- 
  

   fully 
  attacked 
  and 
  destroyed 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  larvae, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  adult 
  

   weevils. 
  

  

  Faure 
  (J. 
  C). 
  Sweet-Potato 
  Sphinx. 
  — 
  Agric. 
  Jl. 
  Union 
  S. 
  Africa, 
  

   Pretoria, 
  vii, 
  no. 
  4, 
  April 
  1914, 
  pp. 
  515-519, 
  1 
  fig. 
  

  

  The 
  sweet-potato 
  industry 
  in 
  the 
  New 
  Hanover-Dalton 
  District 
  in 
  

   Natal 
  has 
  increased 
  so 
  rapidly 
  in 
  recent 
  years 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  probably 
  

   2,000 
  acres 
  of 
  this 
  crop 
  annually 
  of 
  a 
  gross 
  value 
  of 
  about 
  £20,000. 
  

   The 
  larvae 
  of 
  the 
  sweet-potato 
  moth 
  (? 
  Herse 
  convolvuli, 
  L.) 
  seriously 
  

   defoHates 
  the 
  crop, 
  reducing 
  it 
  by 
  from 
  25 
  to 
  50 
  per 
  cent. 
  Growers 
  

   maintain 
  that 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  three 
  separate 
  attacks 
  in 
  a 
  season 
  — 
  in 
  

   November, 
  January 
  and 
  March. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  laid 
  singly 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  leaves, 
  pupation 
  

   taking 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  soil. 
  A 
  Tachinid 
  parasite 
  has 
  been 
  reared 
  from 
  the 
  

   larvae, 
  and 
  also 
  a 
  Chalcid 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  a 
  hyperparasite. 
  Spraying 
  

   experiments 
  were 
  undertaken, 
  small 
  plots 
  being 
  sprayed 
  with 
  arsenate 
  

   of 
  lead 
  (3 
  lb. 
  to 
  50 
  gallons), 
  and 
  Paris 
  green 
  (1 
  lb. 
  to 
  75 
  gallons 
  and 
  

   2 
  lb. 
  lime), 
  both 
  sprays 
  being 
  sweetened. 
  From 
  30-80 
  per 
  cent, 
  of 
  the 
  

   larvae 
  were 
  killed 
  and 
  the 
  sprayed 
  plots 
  were 
  largely 
  avoided 
  by 
  

   migrating 
  caterpillars. 
  

  

  VAN 
  DER 
  Walt 
  (J.). 
  Lime 
  for 
  Green 
  Aphis. 
  — 
  Agric. 
  Jl. 
  Union 
  S. 
  Africa, 
  

   Pretoria, 
  vii, 
  no. 
  4, 
  April 
  1914, 
  pp. 
  576-577. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  spring 
  of 
  1911, 
  the 
  author 
  had 
  four 
  peach 
  trees 
  very 
  badly 
  

   infested 
  with 
  green 
  aphis. 
  The 
  trees 
  were 
  thoroughly 
  wetted 
  and 
  

   unslaked 
  lime 
  powdered 
  over 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  ; 
  the 
  same 
  afternoon 
  

   the 
  trunks 
  of 
  the 
  trees 
  were 
  green 
  with 
  insects 
  that 
  had 
  left 
  the 
  

   branches. 
  A 
  few 
  days 
  later 
  the 
  trees 
  were 
  quite 
  clean 
  and 
  began 
  to 
  

   grow 
  again. 
  In 
  1912 
  the 
  whole 
  orchard 
  was 
  treated 
  in 
  this 
  way, 
  and 
  

   in 
  1913 
  not 
  a 
  single 
  aphis 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  found. 
  For 
  trees 
  about 
  6-8 
  feet 
  

   high 
  3 
  lb. 
  of 
  hme 
  per 
  tree 
  was 
  used. 
  This 
  treatment 
  is 
  cheaper 
  than 
  

   the 
  nicotin 
  treatment. 
  

  

  