CHAPTER X 



THE FAUNA OF THE CACAO FIELD 



It is of paramount importance that all practical cacao 

 planters should be fully acquainted not only with the 

 various diseases to which cacao is subject, but also with 

 the fauna of the cacao field. This may be conveniently 

 discussed under two heads — Insects and Mammals ; and 

 in the following Tables are given the common and scientific 

 names of the principal varieties, brief particulars of the 

 damage done by them, and suggestions for their treatment 

 which will be amplified in succeeding notes : 



No. 1. The " Parasol Ant " (Atta cephalotes and Atta 

 octospinosa). — These insects form large nests in the ground 

 or in hollow trees, in which they grow certain fungi as food, 

 cutting leaves and other vegetable matter into small pieces 

 as material on which to grow their fungi. They carry 

 the cut portion held above the head, often travelling in 

 columns, making a regular path or footway, the width of 

 which varies in accordance with the size of the nest. In 

 the forests of Central America tracks have been noted over 

 a foot in width, and the strength of colonies is such that 

 they are able to strip a large mango-tree of its leaves in a 

 single raid of a few hours, leaving nothing but the bare 

 branches and leaf-ribs. They are common in Central and 

 South America and in a few of the West Indian islands, 

 Trinidad unfortunately possessing the largest stock of them 

 among the British islands. They do great damage on 

 cacao estates, especially to young fields, and on older 

 plantations the whole of the leaves of a large tree may be 

 carried off in a single night if large nests are allowed to 

 develop in the neighbourhood. The insects can, however, 



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